Purple and black wings
by dawnstaryua
Summary: All I wanted was to not be normal, but I didn't think it would have a cost like that.  And how do Allen, and the Black Order get into this? AllenxOC, LavixOC rated T possible fluff, eventually. :P
1. Chapter 1 A case of Insomnia

**Okay! So this is my first story! YAY! I'm sorry for all the references, they are a part of the story. I hope you enjoy my story of... extreme weirdness, randomness, and maybe some sadness. READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! I OWN NOTHING! except for my OC's :3 ENJOY!**

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><p>It was a bit after midnight when this whole thing began. The busy New York City street blared with drunk party goers, car horns, and fan girls and fan boys who had made reservations in a different hotel. The balcony was on the 24th floor of the whole building, and I could <em>not<em> sleep. Worst case of insomnia I had ever had, and I when I say that, I mean it. There were days where I wouldn't fall asleep until the very last second and immediately my buzzer would go off. But this time, this time I was clearly awake, not tired in the least. So I decided that I would try to get the freshest air that's possible in the smoggy city. It wasn't the same as the small town fresh air I was used to in Michigan, but still, fresh. I gripped the railings of the balcony, trying to think about where I was, the here and now, not the fail I had on the last day of school or the dance right before it. I tried to think of the people I'd met at the ani-con downstairs in the lobby where people who _got_ me were. The ones who laugh at the same things because we get the same jokes, I thought about my two best friends who were asleep in the room behind me. I was finally out of the tiny city I had known all my life, and talking to people at last who would laugh when a cosplayer of Edward Elric would suddenly randomly yell "ROY MUSTANG IS DEAD SEXY….. IN A MINI SKIRT!" and would get that stuff about how 'we all know Kanda and Allen are best friends…. Or not' because they knew what I was talking about. I tried to breath, but it was hard thinking about the last month; I was finally out of middle school, and the one chance I had to maybe ask my crush to a dance. Gone.

I looked up and a weird glowing black greeted me from the sky, the only kind you see in big cities at night. And I realized something: my whole life was a ridiculously boring, stale, routine set story. And I hated it. I want adventure, thrills, moments that when I'm old and I can tell my grandkids about it they wouldn't believe me. So…. Feeling completely insane, I did something I hadn't done in a while. Ellie, one of my best friends asleep in the room who is a pastor's daughter, didn't know who shaky I was in my faith, so I just decided I might as well try praying again. I folded my hands, the wind blowing against my shoulders that were bare, sending chills down my spine and ruffling my hair, bowed my head and stared at my tank top and pajama pants, closed my eyes and rambled a screwed prayer.

_**'Um….. hey, uh, God? Can you hear me? All I want is to not have a boring life, and not have the same thing every day. If that's possible, that would be cool. Er…. Amen.'**_

Geesh. I fail. I slapped me forehead and chuckled, I felt like bursting into song. Again. Maybe this time I would do 'It sucks to be me' from Avenue Q. My life had always stayed in that small city in Michigan and would probably always stay there despite the fact every one claimed I'd get to Broadway. I turned to go inside when I felt a wind so strong it slammed me into the rail by the door. I crumpled to the floor just _knowing_ I now had a giant bruise on my hip.

"Ow…" I moaned. I staggered to stand up when I heard an ear splitting scream from the street below. And hollers and shouts and more screams and yells and shrieks of fear. I looked up and I nearly vomited. The sky, that had been black only moments before was a sickly yellowish orange, and it looked like purple and black clouds swarmed around, so close that it seemed that they wer barely the buildings, and getting closer.

Suddenly, I thought one word, and I wanted it all to be a nightmare. _Akuma._

'_Oh please God! That's not what I meant!' _ I ran back into the room screaming, "GET UP! PLEASE JUST GET UP! AND RUN! HIDE! HURRY!" Sarah groggily opened her eyes, and Ellie yawned and slowly sat up.

"Uhn…" moaned Sarah.

"Whazit? This had better be gud Tasha." Ellie muttered half asleep.

Only my mom didn't get up. I ran to her side and started furiously shaking her. More akuma were descending into the streets and we needed to get out of that damned room right now! "Sarah? Did I ever explain what Allen and Lavi basically _fight_ in D. Gray-Man?" Sarah was starting to get up. Sarah shook her head. Ellie groaned.

"Not more of your anime crap! You get me up at two in the morning? For that!" Ellie hissed, pissed that her sleep had been interrupted. Now I know how she feels when she wakes me up in the morning.

"No Ellie, this so ain't the time." I barked, practically throwing mom off the bed now.

"'Isn't', Tasha, 'ain't' isn't a word." Ellie retorted, a hint of smart alec in her voice, not seeing the importance and urgency that they get up and move their damn asses out of the damned to hell room!

I glared at her. I was about to snap. "Ellie, I swear, this is important. There are things out there right now that will kill us, and if you guys don't get o-"

The room exploded. There is no other way to say it. It exploded. The room filled with dark smoke and coughing as Sarah and Ellie jumped out of bed." Are you two alright?" I called. Sarah uh-huhed and Ellie just gave a "YEA!" I stumbled across the room littered with rocks from the wall that had just been blown up back to my mom's side, since I'd been blown into the side of the bed Sarah and Ellie were in, and when the smoke cleared, I knew then and there my life could _never, ever_, be the same.

Pentacles were slowly starting to appear on my mother's body. She was going to practically implode any second, right in front of my eyes. Fighting tears I whispered "Mama?"

Mom painfully opened her eyes. "Tasha?"

"Mm-hm?" I was about to burst from pain.

"I love you. I'll always be at your side, no matter what path you choose. I am, and always will be proud of you. Watch out for your friends and your brother, okay sweetie?"

"Y-Yeah! Mommy…" I felt like I was three again, "Mommy don't die! I love you!" I hugged her one last time.

"Good-bye Tasha, I'll see you again, now get far away. I don't want you to get hurt." In her last bit of strength, she pushed me off of her and I scrambled back, right as her body went as dark as black silk and her body became a giant splat on the wall.

My mother was dead. I finally started to sob. Sarah and Ellie, not knowing what else to do, sat down next to me as I bawled my eyes out. They held me as more screams and explosions were heard forever. When it seemed like I couldn't cry anymore, it occurred to me that Ellie and Sarah were looking at something. I lifted my head to see just what it was that they were staring at. And that's when I seriously started to panic.

The Millenium Earl's grin just seemed to grow broader as he said in the creepiest voice. "Why, good evening young ladies."


	2. Chapter 2 Enter the Exorcists

**Hey! I didn't think I would get chapter 2 up this fast! But... I did :3 So big thank you to bcozy, for being the very first person to review my first chappie, cherry3456 for reading it as soon as she could, because she loves me XD and Ellephant1213 for reading it even though she does not like anime :) I understand i had quite a few cuss words so I tried to keep it a little less frequent.**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING! EXCEPT MY OC'S**

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><p>The Millennium Earl stood in front of us, that creepy grin taking up over 70% of his face, with Lero placed in front of him, almost like a gentleman waiting for something. He stepped forward, "Oh, I'm sorry children. My dear akuma tend to get a little carried away sometimes when they're leveling up…."<p>

I stood there in absolute fright. My friends didn't realize the death machine in front of us, but I did. I knew everything he was going to say. First he would say…..

"But you know, if you want, little Natasha, I can bring back your mother."

Check.

"All you have to do is say her name!"

Check.

"And your mother's soul will be placed in a state of the art new body!"

Check and check.

"Wouldn't it be nice to the cruel God who has taken your dear mother away from you?"

Che- Wait…. Did he just say what I think he just said? My anger started building. The Millennium Earl didn't notice it and continued to ramble as a metal skeleton seemed to ascend from the ground. Sarah gave a gasp and an "Omigosh" and Ellie just stood there, dumbfounded. I, on the other hand was getting more and more pissed.

Did that bastard just call me _small?_

Oh.

_Hell_.

_**No!**_

The Millennium Earl was just getting to the part about how I could live like the way it used to be when I exploded. "Okay. So let me get this straight." I put my hand to my head and pinched the bridge of my nose while scrunching my eyes, something I do whenever I'm just ticked off.

"Umm…. Go ahead?" The Millennium Earl said, a bit taken aback.

"You….. Are the Duke of Millennium, _right?_" I hissed.

"Yes missy! That's right! And if you just say your mother's name, she'll-" I held my hand up to stop him.

"The same Millennium Earl that goes to people who are grieving and offers them a deal they can't refuse, _**right?**_"

"….. Yes?"

"Without telling them the tiny detail of the fact that if they call the name of said person who has died that when this person comes back to life, they themselves die at the person who was just brought back to life own hands, _riiiiiiiiight?_"

That's when Ellie and Sarah flipped their heads to look at me with a "SERIOUSLY?" face.

"…. Do you want your mom back or not?"

"Of course I do, Mr. Earl. Can I call you that? Oh whatever. You can just shut up."

"?"

"But anyways, is it not correct that you. Just called. Me. _SHORT?_!" My voice was so strained it didn't even sound like me.

"So….. You're refusing my offer?" He was a little upset now.

"LIKE HELL I WOULD ACCEPT IT! I'M NOT THAT STUPID!" I screeched.

"Well then… I guess you'll just have to-" The Millennium Earl stopped, looking at me like he just _now _noticed something about the short blonde girl in a light blue tank top and plaid pajama pants sitting in a mess with two black haired girls in a night gown and a pajama set sitting in front of him. His grin seemed to grow wider. "Well. Turns out I can't kill _you,_ Natasha…. But you're friends will have to go."

Sarah blinked. Then Ellie. Then me. Simultaneously, we cried "WHAAAAAT?"

Two level one akuma burst through the walls (what was left of them at least….), sending the three of us flying and slamming us against the wall that was part of the structure of the inner part of the building, which was surprisingly still standing..

Ellie practically slid down the wall after hitting her head _hard _on impact, falling into a position that looked like she had fallen asleep sitting against the wall, just barely conscious and unable to move, flinching with a grimace on her face. Sarah flew to the wall in weird position, her body parallel to the ground she fell to the floor with a distinct _crack_ and a _whud._ She gave a moan, a sign she was still alive at least. She as laying side ways on the floor, her face scrunched up in pain. And me… Well, I just fell of the wall and landed in a lying down position, and I looked up to see the akuma slowly closing in on my friends, their sightless eyes trained on two of my best friends. _ No. No no no no no! I can not lose them, not them, anyone but them._

In my last bit of energy I stood, and spread my arms out, to protect my friends. "No." I murmured. "You are….. not… taking them… too… you… bastard!" My voice gained more ground and more strength I felt like charging the akuma, but my legs wouldn't move, let alone let me stand for another five seconds. My body started to fold on it's self. I was losing consciousness, fast. I was losing it all at once. I wanted to scream, but for a split second I felt a surging burn in my throat, like someone was cutting into the string, and I couldn't scream for help. Before I knew it my legs were just

What happened next is a total blur in my mind.

My body started to fall, I heard a bang, two gunshots, and a lot of curses flying around. My body hit something firm, I was pretty sure I was being carried in a princess position, my head was pounding, I put my hand up to the side of my head that felt warm. And wet. Oh. Crap. Head wound that's bleeding. That can't be good.

The air smelled absolutely foul, and I swear I could hear panting from some one really close by. I opened my eyes, and saw a red scar like mark on the face of a boy I recognized, but it didn't register in my mind. The boy's face leaned downnext to my ear and whispered "Everything will be alright." Something was wrapped around my mouth, and that's when _everything_ went dark.

But that's just when everything became all the more clear.

_Flashback_

My. Mom. Is. _The. _Best.

No joke, she's just awesome.

"Don't waste all your money all on one day."

"Yeah mom"

"Don't tell any one where you live!" She called as I got out of the Rent-a-Car.

"No problem! We'll be safe Mrs. Brown." Sarah chirped, giving her signature two thumbs up and adorable smile.

"Alright girls. I'll meet you in front of the hotel at 7 o'clock, have fun, stay together, and remember…." My mom gave us a weird look, "If _any _guy starts to flirt with _any _of you, you have the right to punch their lights out."

"Ummmm… what?" Sarah and I were weirded out, but hey, it was my mom.

"Anyways…. Ellie. Out of the car. _Now."_ I looked in the rolled down window.

"… Uh-uh." She stayed staring straight ahead. "There is no way I am getting out of his car to watch you two run around like maniacs for people who don't even exist."

"Wow! You sound like Marie!" I said, "Plus, Ivy's doing the exact same thing for Harry Potter."

"Yeah, well, that's different."

I stood there, my cosplay obviously making me stand out (I was dressed as Fo) and Sarah dressed as Leanlee just sat there, a pout on her face "Come ooooooooooooooooooonnnnn ! It's gonna be so much fuuuuuuuuuuun!" She whined.

I stared at Sarah. "Well… That was… odd… And new."

"Anything to get the realistic one out to enjoy fantasy!" She chirped with a grin spread on her face.

I took one last look at Ellie, a look at Sarah, and realized some thing. I began to open the door to the small blue Ford Focus. I laughed.

"Don't worry! I won't drag you out by force!" I said through laughter when I saw Ellie fail at having a ninja pose. Ellie couldn't hurt a fly. I reached across her lap and grabbed my camera, and as my body stretched back out of the car, I unbuckled her seat belt, grabbed her hand and dragged her out.

"What the heck, Tasha!" She kicked and writhed, "I thought you said you wouldn't use force!"

"I never said 'force and a sneak attack," I smirked.

"Oh yeah! Well…. WELL I JUST LOST THE GAME!" I slugged her arm, and as she clutched her 'battle wound', I shut the car door and said good bye to my mom.

"Okay! let's go!"

"Wooooooooo!"

"Somebody shoot me…."

And our little parade made our way into the convention, my arms raised in a victory position, Sarah walking with her arms some what away from her body and in big steps, and Ellie just had her head down, muttering about how pathetic anime is.

_Flashback end._

"How long have they been out?" I asked Lenalee. The fight was over; way too long, but over.

"Well….. Granted we found them right around when they fainted, they've been unconscious for about two and a half hours.

_Great. _ I sat down by the one I had carried out of the fight, the blonde one. Lenalee had put a bandage on her head where she had hit her head, so she looked like a fallen soldier. On my left was another girl about the same age, who had hair a bit longer than shoulder length that was black. She didn't look any better. Her wounds would heal faster at least though. She had a few bruises, and some scratches on her face, but other than that, she would be able to _move. _ I looked back at the blonde.

"Which one did you say you knew?" Lenalee's question broke me from my thoughts.

"Uh…" I pointed to the girl asleep next to me. "This one."

"Did you ever find out her name?"

I searched my memory for what she had said when we had met earlier "Um… Natasha? Yeah, it was Natasha."

"Did you find out the other ones' names?"

"Can't say I did." I replied. "Sorry."

"Oh it's okay! Don't worry about it!" Lenalee said putting a wet washcloth on the one's furthest from me forehead. "I just can't believe how they got mixed into this. And I want to know why the Earl said to kill the other two and not 'Natasha'. I'm just confused is all."

"Yeah, I just hope that everything will turn out alright for them. I mean," I placed my right hand on Natasha's shoulder, "Can you believe what Natasha did? She even knew the danger and she _still _did it! That's a lot of courage for some one who has rarely seen death."

"Well, it could because she's just naïve, like you moyashi." Kanda said. He was by the area where a sliding door used to be. The whole room was in shambles, and completely littered with rocks from the battle.

"Oh come off it, Yuu." Lavi come through the door that was still on it's hinges. "She was only trying to protect her friends."

Natasha rolled over on to her side, clutching her arms and started to shiver. I decided to take off my coat and put it across her. She stopped shivering and got a peaceful look on her face, and for a moment, it looked like she smiled.

"Well, what ever their story is, they'll be stuck with us for a while." Lenalee said closing her eyes.

"Yeah, and hey who knows…." I rested my back against the wall, the floor I was sitting on and where the girls were sleeping was ice cold. "Maybe one of them will turn out to be an accomadator."


	3. Chapter 3  Hey cool they're real!

**_Well... that took longer than i hoped... hello and welcome to my fan fiction! please reveiw it people! i like feedback. Plus, you get mentioned if you do, like bcozy and Cherry34567, who reveiwed my chapters! Anyways... i don't own d. Gray-man._**

**_enjoy!_**

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><p><em>I'm walking down a long hall. There is no light except at the very, very end of it. The light is odd, it's almost blue in the center, it's so bright.<em>

_And I find myself walking toward it._

_I am a shell, my body moving on its own, my eyes are only trained on the light, but I see drifting sights, people I know about, but I can't focus on them. I need to go toward the light. My heart is throbbing, trying to listen to the soft, barely hearable music coming from the room. There are whispers everywhere, I can't make out what their saying, and an occasional shout. But it's like they don't exist. I just keep walking. The whispers and shouts grow louder, some times it sounds like laughter, other times crying, I'm still walking. _

_Wait… What are they saying?_

'_Tashaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…'_

'_Natasha… Tasha!'_

_Who's Tasha?_

_Oh. Right. Me._

_The hall opens into the light, I can't see for a moment, the whispers die down, and all I hear is music. I blink a few times, and the room is a cavern, with a lake in the center. The light is coming from some where in the center of the lake, suspended above the surface of the still, tranquil, glowing water._

_I took a step forward, then looked at the water and stepped back again. I wanted to go where the music was coming from, but I can't walk on water, and, hey, would you go swimming in a lake, in a cave, where no one can save you, and the water is __**glowing?**_

_Yeah, that's what I thought. _

_I looked around, and seeing no one, looked to the center of the lake. That' where the music was coming from. I hesitantly walked towards the waters surface to investigate. I don't care if curiosity killed the cat. I'm a panda. No. I'm something else. But I don't know just what that is._

_As I got closer and closer to the edge of the water, the music got louder. I looked down at the water, where I was standing just inches from, and when I aw my reflection, I gasped._

_My usual blonde, flat, shoulder-length hair was wavy and practically moon silver. My eyes which were constantly changing colors were icy blue, and I was wearing a white dress with puffy sleeves and silver lining, and the skirt was made of so many layers that it looked like it was made of flower petals. I looked back at the center of the lake. I could just barely make out the outline of what looked like a piano. Now I needed to get to the center of the lake. I didn't care if the water was glowing. I lightly stepped into the water, again, I was shocked. _

_I was standing on the water._

"_Don't be afraid. Keep walking, you'll be fine." Said a voice from some where. I looked around. "Don't worry about it, you'll know who I am soon enough. Just go towards the light, okay?"_

_Don't they always to stay __**away **__from the light?_

_Whatever. If I'm dead, this must be a place between heaven and earth. And so far, it was pretty cool. I cautiously walked to where it looked like the piano was._

"_Play." The voice said._

"_I only sing. I'm music instrument impaired." I said aloud._

"_Well, sing then."_

"_What do I sing then, oh great disembodied voice from nowhere who seems to know who I am!" I retorted in my annoyed voice._

"_Anything that comes to mind."_

_So without thinking at all, this song, this melody… just came out of no where._

_And started spilling out of my mouth._

'_The world spins ever slowly forever, _

_turning 'round and 'round_

_with every ending to one story,_

_comes a bright new dawning light._

_Fantasy alongside reality._

_Hopes and dreams forever are lost within the wind…'_

_I stopped. Suddenly, someone's arms were folding around me, and I felt someone rest their head on top of mine. I looked up and saw silver hair._

"_Hey… Why'd you stop?" Said the person above me._

_I felt my face heat up. "Uhm…." But then the voices started whispering again._

"_Tashaaaaaa…"_

_It keeps getting louder._

"_Natashaaaa!"_

_Now someone's shaking my shoulders…_

"_Natasha!"_

_**WAIT A SECOND!**_

I blink and Sarah is looking straight into my face, and shaking my shoulders and whining: "Coooome ooooooooonnnnnnn! Waaaaake uuuuuuuuup! Wake up alreeeadyyyyy!"

I don't think it registered that it was Sara, because I rolled on to my side away from her and muttered "10 more minutes, mom! I was cramming last night. I'm sick."

"Oh great…" I heard Sarah say.

"Oh don't worry, I've got a plan." Ellie said, hearing rustling and a sudden weight on my body. "Sarah, c'mon! I need you to do it too!"

"What are you two doing!" an unfamiliar voice said. "You guys better not hurt her!"

"Oh don't worry." Ellie said playfully, "She won't hurt me."

I was starting to be pulled more and more out of my dream. I was so going to kill them.

Ellie and Sarah were counting down from five and just when I was about to fall back in to sleep….

"WAAAAAAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUUP TAAAAAAAAAASHAAAAAAAA!"

I flew out of the sheets and accidentally smacked Ellie, and knocked Sarah off of me.

"The hell was that!" I said loudly. "I need sleep!" I pulled the cover back over my head.

Ellie just tried to pound where she thought my head was but I just reached up and grabbed her fist and looked at her with daggers through a hole in the blanket. "Try that and I'll dance on your ashes."

Ellie scrambled back, making a frightened noise. I sat up and just scratched my head. My eyes just closed and I was cranky. "Neh….. This better be good Sarah!" I turned to her, after blinking a few times.

"Um… Maybe I should explain it, then." Said the unfamiliar voice from before. It was female and behind me. I turned around, my eyes going to burst into flames.

"And just who might you b-" I shut up as soon as I saw her. Her hair was dark green and in pigtails, and she was wearing a dark colored dress. "O. M.G." was all I could say. It was Lena Lee.

"Oh so she is some one from an anime! Then I must be dreaming!" Ellie chirped and she started 'la-la-la-ing.'

I looked at Sarah with a 'WTF' face.

"Well…. She thinks she's dreaming that all of these anime characters are here, so she keeps telling herself that she'll wake up any minute. I've tried pinching her and everything. She's in complete denial!" Sarah explained.

"Well then…. That's…. Crap…." I thought for a moment.

"Um…. What are you doing?" Lena Lee asked as I stood up and started crawling towards where Ellie was sitting there, smiling like an idiot.

"Don't worry, the thing is, most people know to _not_ mess with me, since I can usually beat some one to a pulp. I think if I just slap her and explain some psychology to her, it mi-"

"Wait. What does psychology have to do with this?" Said another unknown voice, male this time.

I turned and saw a red head that was maybe a foot taller than me.

And he was totally hot. With a hammer. And, no, he was so NOT a pirate.

It was Lavi!

After a tiny fan girl moment, I walked over to Ellie, slapped her and said something I had picked up a few years ago. "Look, here's the thing Ellie. Your dreams are made up of the things you have gotten over the day that you may have forgotten, like little crumbs to a cookie, scattered on the floor. When you go to sleep, your mind takes all the little crumbs from the cookie and smoosh it together and make a mini cookie out of it, or your dream. Also, the people you see in dreams are people you've seen before, whether it's someone walking down the opposite side of the street, or your closest friend."

Lavi just stared intently, taking all that in. Ellie just looked at me and said 'Your point is?"

"My point is that you have never, ever in your life seen Lena Lee. And here she is sitting in front of you. You've only seen one picture of Lavi before," Lavi gave me an "OMG What?" face. "And here he is. Standing in front of you."

"I still don't believe it. This is totally a dream. I will wake up at any second." She insisted.

"Oh….. Dammit…." I slapped my forehead. "It's hopeless. She's in complete denial."

"Oh. Look who's up." Another new voice said. _How many times am I gonna go through this?_ I asked myself as I turned around, rolling my eyes. And in through the door came the destroyer of time himself.

That's right. Allen Walker.

OH MY GAH!

"Sarah…." I turned to her with my mouth agape. "_Am _I dreaming?"

"Do you want me to tell you how I realized it was real?" She said excitedly.

"Entertain me." I challenged.

"YAY!" She sat down on the floor. I was ready to listen to whatever she was going to say.

_Flashback _(Sarah's POV :D)

I groggily opened my eyes. And I swear, it was like looking in a mirror.

Wait, didn't I trade costumes with Tasha during the festival? And didn't I take off the wig!

"Good! This one's not dead! I mean…. You're up!" Said the girl in front of me.

I blinked. Then I slapped myself.

"Are you okay! Why did you just slap yourself?" The girl leaned over me. And it wasn't just any girl, it was Lenalee!

Holy cheese and crackers. This was real!

"Alright!" I Punched my fist up wards, except it connected with her face.

"Owww….' Lena Lee moaned. I sat up and gasped putting my hand to my mouth.

"Omicamels I'm so sorry! It was a total accident! I swear! I'm so so sorry! Are you okay!" I said almost running on and on. "I mean, I didn't expect to see anyone when I woke up, let alone you! I mean you're like in a series I read and OMG you're Lena Lee and HOLY COW is this a dream because if this is I'm going to be so mad, but this is the be-"

"She gets excited now doesn't she?" said a voice from behind Lena Lee, who was fine now, and sounded male. I leaned to my side to look around Lena Lee.

And there, standing against the wall.

Was a red head.

Holding a hammer.

That had an eye patch.

IT WAS A PIRATE! :D

No… It was…. It was….

"NO!"

"YES!"

"NO!" I was getting extremely excited.

"Ye- wait…. What am I yessing too?" He said.

"NO WAY!"

"O_O;;"

I ran at him, full speed ahead. "!" Lavi got a startled look on his face as I ultimate-glomped him, nearly knocking him off his feet. I did a fan girl squeal and giggled as I huggled him.

"What the heck is this!" He said staring at me, surprised out of his mind.

"I think… she's a fan girl Lavi" Allen walked into the room.

Allen….. OMG THAT'S ALLEN!

I looked at Lavi, then to Allen, then back Lavi, who by this point was looking at me with the weirdest look. I finally said "Lavi," even weirder look, "I'm sorry, but I must leave you for 20 or so seconds."

"Eh!"

I let go of Lavi, flung myself across the room at Allen, and hugged him, screaming " AAAAAAAAALLEEEEEN!"

"What the Hell is this?"

After another five seconds of complete and total bliss, I let go of Allen and darted back to hugging Lavi.

"Can one of you guys get this fan girl off of me?"

"I dunno Lavi….. It's kind of cute! ^^" Lena Lee said.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalleeeeeen?"

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell…" Allen started, a dark and black aura emanating from him. "You _**do**_ call me moyashi…. Plus you ate some of my breakfast the other day…."

"OH COME ON! You can't have all the food to yourself!"

"But in all honesty Lavi…. She really is cute on you!"

"YAY!" I squealed in delight, somewhat cuddling Lavi.

'Unnnnngggh…." A small voice said from the other side of the room. I glanced over to see Ellie slowly start to wake up. I ran to her and gently hugged her, squealing "Okay so you know that anime Tasha and I always talk about? OMG if this is a dream I never want to wake up!"

"Shut….. up….."

"Eh?" I said, not exactly catching what she said.

"I…. said…" she sat up, her eyes squinty, "Shut. Up."

"EH?"

"You know I HATE anime. I know we have that deal but I don't want to listen to any thing about anime until I have to, when we go back to the convention today…"

"Che. You might want to change your plans." A deep voice said from the door.

Only one guy has that attitude and_ che_'s .

I turned around and saw a man with long dark hair in a ponytail.

My fangirl instincts told me to glomp.

But knowing what he would do if I did kept me in my place.

Because it was Kanda. *SQUEEE!*

Ellie finally opened her eyes and gasped when she saw the barren room, littered with rocks and wires. It had been cleared where Ellie and I were sleeping.

Oh, and around where Tasha was sleeping….. Who had a bandage on her head.

OMG WHAT!

I tripped over Ellie's legs, as she yelled out "OW! Watch where you're going, dang it!" and scrambled to Tasha's side.

"Tasha…" My voice trailed off. I gripped her shoulders and started to gently shake her. "Tasha, please don't be dead. Just don't die okay? Please don't die."

"I wouldn't shake her, she's hurt enough, ya know." I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned around to see Lavi's green eye looking into mine. "She'll be fine, just let her rest."

I felt my face grow hot and quickly looked away. I quietly asked, "What happened?"

"Maybe we should wait until you're all up to explain that." Allen said, "In the mean time, Kanda and I will keep looking for survivors. Lena Lee, Lavi, keep them safe, 'kay?"

"S-survivors…?" I turned to Lena Lee.

Her shoulders sagged, a frown painted on her lips as she quietly said, "You three are the only survivors we've found so far out of all the akuma attacks. I don't know why, but the Earl wasn't going to kill your friend Tasha."

Images of last night flew through my mind, and that's when I noticed a giant hole in the wall.

"No….. No. No, no no no no no. nononononononononono….." I ran over to the hole's edge, a few feet from where it opened into the early morning air. It was still dark out, the sun just barely starting to peak over the horizon. That's when it hit me.

"This... This is all real, isn't it? Everything…" Tasha's mom, being covered with pentacles. "It all happened, didn't it?"

"Sorry to say it, but yes, it all happened." Lavi stood behind me. 'You still need some rest. I'll try to find some food in here."

I heard a groan from across the room (again). I darted over and realized Tasha was waking up.

"Oh Tashaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Tashaaaaaaaaaaa… ….."

"Well that explains everything." I said rolling my eyes.

Sarah giggled, Ellie groaned. Typical day in the life of me.

Damn it. It's not typical anymore.

"Well now that every one is up and ready to go…" Allen trailed.

"It's time for you guys to get some answers!" Lena Lee finished with a smile.

With a smile… add that phrase to any sentence and you've got a business slogan.

"Well…. Yay! I don't have to beat them out of you!" I said grinning.

O_O;; faces filled the room, except for Ellie and Sarah.

"Guys…. She's kidding. Chill." Ellie said trying to stifle some laughter.

"Okay, anyways, let's circle up." Lavi said. We did as such. We all quickly sat down in a little "circle". If we want to be more correct, it was an amoeba. But, hey, who cares? We were about to learn about things that would change our lives forever, and shatter the way we looked at things before now. We just didn't know that at the time.

"So…. Explain….." Lavi started, "Why were there people dressed up as us yesterday? And also…" He pointed at Sarah. "WHY!"

I looked around the room, until I found the ultimate answer for that.

A D. Gray-Man book. Perfect.

Don't ask me how it was there. The room I was in probably belonged to a fellow otaku.

I held it up and the four characters stared at it in complete wonder (Allen, who was on the cover), confusion (Lavi), bewilderment (Lena Lee, just as awestruck about Allen's picture as he was), and not-caring-ness (Kanda).

"What's that?" Lena Lee finally asked.

"You're story. Or as much as the public knows…. Or… some of the public…." I answered.

"Our story? What's that supposed to mean?" Allen asked.

"Exactly what it says. Allen, before you came to the order, you met a police women from a town near by, right?" I said flipping through the book.

"Um… yes?" He answered, caught off-guard.

I turned the book around to show the part where he was being questioned (stupidly, might I add) by the police chief. Allen took the book from my hands, flipping through the pages. "Whoa…" his eyes were wide. "That's…. whoa."

"Okay, now explain why New York City is demolished!" Ellie said.

The four of them looked at each other.

Lena Lee sighed. "This is going to be a looooooooooooooooong day."


	4. Chapter 4 A new beginning

**This. This is taking way too frickin' long to update.**

**BUT! I refuse to put it on hiatus. Because I WILL finish it.**

**Thank you to Cherry3456, bcozy, and trem for the reviews! Happy happy joy joy because I figured out how to see how many people look at my story. This makes me happy.**

**Sorry. I'm weird. :P RAWR! I do not own D. gray-man. If I did Allen and Lavi would probably be tied up in my room :D**

**Another VERY quick thing…. Allen's going to be able to use crown clown and the sword thing, and his innocence from **_**before **_**he got crown clown. I never quite understood why he always has to be ULTIMATE form. Should be for legit occasions. Yes I'm very aware that this is a long intro *is bricked***

**Oh… I should also explain this. I'm really not quite sure when the story takes place in the actual series. So far it's more or less….. Yeah… It's kinda a mush of the actual manga and anime… Cuz I felt like doing it that way :P Anyways…**

**Allen: Enjoy the story!**

**Lavi: and don't for get to review!**

**Yua: that's my line bakas…..**

* * *

><p>"Wait….. Lena Lee… What exactly do you mean?" I was so confused, but then everything just stopped, because in a flash, everything came back to me. Everything about last night flew back into my mind, like if you put a gate at the top of a water fall and it suddenly burst, all the water would come rushing out at high speeds and with an amazing force. That's kinda what it was like. Because then and there, I remembered.<p>

Last night.

Last night, I met _the_ Earl.

Last night, I was spared.

Last night, I nearly died protecting my friends.

Last night, my mom died.

Last night, all of New York City was filled with akuma.

Last night, I met the exorcists, and everything changed.

"Look, what we're about to tell you, you may not believe." Lavi started off.

"But the thing is, it's the complete and total truth, and from now on, it's probably going to shape your lives. You just need to understand that," Allen finished.

"Okay, we'll listen then." Ellie (out of nowhere) said. Sarah and I looked at her shocked that she was ready to take this seriously. Maybe she was starting to understand this was happening. Good. Because I think I'm starting to lose my mind with all of this.

"Are you sure? Because you might not be ready for it," Lena Lee said, concern evident in her voice. I turned to face Ellie. She was sitting on her knees, with her hands on her legs. They were balled in to fists, and I could tell she was clenching them, really tight. She was very tense, because she was probably about to throw away her very foundation of what makes sense, and what doesn't, what's realistic and what's not. It was going to be tough. I then leaned a little forward so that I could see Sarah. She looked back at me and nodded.

I knew it was okay then. We were ready. So much had happened in one night, I'm sure we could handle this. I turned back to the people who I never would have believed existed until maybe ten minutes ago. Nodding my head, I simply came back with "What ever you have to say, we'll listen."

"You sure?" Lena Lee asked. We needed to know what we can to prepare ourselves from…

Who knows what.

We nodded.

"Okay. Sooooooooo… Uh…" Lavi began. "Where should we start?"

(It shall be third person! For I did not know who's point of view would be better. :P Anyways…..)

* * *

><p><em>Flashback!<em>

This was it. After all this, there wouldn't be akuma, no more Earl, all those souls would finally be at peace. This was their final battle.

At least, that was what they were lead to believe.

Lena Lee and Lavi were locked in combat with Road, as she seemed to taunt them by evading all their attacks by just sitting on lero, Krory was once again facing off with the twins, Kanda was just trying keep Tykki occupied, and Miranda was trying to keep everyone's wounds from becoming too live ending. All of them were also trying to not get killed by all the akuma that just seemed to be _everywhere. _Allen was trying to take out as many akuma as possible. And then the Earl arrived.

All hell was about to break loose.

Allen was in the kick ass form of crown clown, (because it's the ultimate battle. DUH!) and knew that if he could just take out the Earl, all the tortured souls of akuma, all the people who had died not knowing the truth about akumas, the could rest in peace. The war would finally be over. Allen charged at The Earl, his arm/sword preparing to make an attack at the crazy grinning self-proclaimed God. Of course the Earl had a sword of his own, countering the exorcist's attack.

"Allen, This would just so much easier if you just join our family," The Earl sighed, "We could stop this fighting, and we could rid the world of these pesky humans."

"I'm not one of you!" Allen screamed, charging at the Earl again, their swords pushing against each other for supremacy. "I'm not a Noah. I'm Allen Walker, an exorcist who fights for the tortured souls of akuma and humans. I'd never join you!" The energy from the two swords erupted and blasted them both back. Allen skidded to a halt, and regained his balance a little quicker than the Earl.

This was it. If he could just one blow, it would finally all be over.

Well… It _should_ be all over.

Exhausted as he was, the job needed to be done, and Allen knew he was the one who needed to do it. Without any hesitation, he bolted toward the Earl, making a kind of "!" sound as he raised his sword to finally end all this.

…

"Well, I'm sorry. But this certainly isn't the end." A cheery unknown voice drifted out over the fighting. Suddenly, it seemed that different areas of the ground around the Noahs, the exorists, and the akuma seemed to erupt, giving of shrill screams that were inhuman. Miranda started to scream. It took a while for anyone to understand what exactly she was screaming:

"What's happening to my innocence?"

The shrill screams grew louder as everything began to be absorbed in light, Allen didn't know what was happening. No one did. It suddenly felt like all the life was being sucked out of him. Memories started flashing before him. Then he saw more. People he'd never seen in his life; a small girl with white hair and ruby eyes smiling up kindly at him, a white cat with green, fierce eyes, another girl with piercing dark eyes (much like Kanda's) staring at him in anger….. He couldn't remember everything being shown to him. And it hurt. It hurt too much, He couldn't stand the pain that was coming from all this.

"Make it stop…." He muttered, "MAKE IT STOOOOOOOOOP!"

He was headed toward a light.

But this wasn't the end. Not by a long shot.

* * *

><p>"The next thing I knew, I was in an alley in a town called…. Boston I think?" I finished my flashback with that. Seriously, that's what happened. One minute.. FINAL BATTLE MAXIMUM! And then plop. Boston.<p>

"I ended up in D.C." Lavi said.

"I landed in Baltimore." Lena Lee said. "Lavi and I met up with Kanda and Allen a bit later."

The one named Tasha turned to me, eyes wide. "You…. Were stuck…. With Kanda."

Kanda tensed next to me. I gave a smirk and replied "Yep! It was _bonding time!_"

Kanda gave me his 'I shall ignite you into flames _now'_ death glare and answered through gritted teeth "It was two weeks of **pure**_** torture!**_" I laughed. The one named 'Ellie' glared at me, like my existence annoyed her.

"You expect me to believe _that?"_ she hissed.

"Ellie!" cried Tasha.

"Well geez. How do you THINK I'm going to belive that crap? I mean seriously! They're not even real!"

That last line echoed in our minds. We paled. Kanda snapped however.

He grabbed her wrist, Ellie giving obvious protest, and twisted it to a point that would leave it sore for at least five hours. "Does that feel fake to you?" He lashed out with his words.

Ellie whimpered. He let go, giving his trademark "Tch" as he sat back.

Tasha and Sarah sat wide eyed at what just happened. Tasha seemed to grow a bit red, her eyes shut very tight. Sarah was just dumb struck.

It took me a moment to realize that I'd never actually taken a good look at any of them.

Sarah had dark brown hair that looked very close to black that was a little more than shoulder length, and light green eyes that seemed to dance in happiness when she smiled. She was small, and she just looked like a bouncy and bubbly kind of person.

Ellie, the tallest of the girls, also had brown/black hair and dark, piercing eyes. She had a slender form, and obviously liked knowing what was going on around her. She seemed… smart. Attentive. Yet just a little quirky at the same time.

I shifted my gaze to Tasha and was met with gray blue eyes staring back. She quickly looked away from my gaze. She was also small in height and frame, she had dirty blonde hair that went past her shoulders. In a way she seemed happy, and then said at the same… sad. Like she was hiding something from her friends.

Huh. Weird. Kinda like me I guess.

I turned my gaze back to Sarah, who as bubbly as she was, became very serious and started making hand gestures, pointing at each of us individually, then as a group. She started making little motions and drew triangles and mathematical stuff (I think it equaled to eight...) Clapped her hands together and blurted out: "I have to go to the bathroom. Who wants to join me?"

Tasha and Ellie turned to Sarah, their eyes wide. Something clicked in Tasha's mind and she just said, "I have to go to!"

Ellie just stared at them.

Tasha stood up. "We're going to look for a bathroom," she grabbed Ellie's collar and started to walk out. "We'll be back in a few. Seeya!" She marched out of the room, Sarah skipping behind as Ellie just struggled.

I turned to Lavi, Lena Lee, and Kanda. We all sweat-dropped.

"Okay, now that they're out of the room, we need to talk." Lavi announced.

_***Meanwhile***_

"So _that's_ why you were making those weird motions!" I exclaimed. Sarah nodded.

"I realized that we needed to talk, you two needed to talk, and they needed to talk. Therefore… DISTRACTION!" Sarah answered me with a cheerful smile. I don't know how she does it, but Sarah can be the happiest person in the world at a terrible time. Well, that's what people think. She somehow always manages to stay level headed when things got crazy.

Ellie rolled her eyes. "There's nothing to talk about between us. We can't trust them. Besides, we don't need their help. We're fine on our own." She stated. "I refuse to cooperate with them." I blew up at her.

"Ellie! How can you say that! They just saved our _lives, _baka! For crying out loud Ellie," I grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "This is real!" My voice strained.

"No. It's not. Those people aren't real Tasha. They never could be." She glared back. "Seriously, you're ju-"

"Dammit Elizabeth!" She shut up at the use of her real name. "Dammit. Why can't you see this is real?" I stared at the ground, tears started coming to my eyes. "Why Ellie? For once open your mind! I know this would be hard, but Ellie, don't you see? They saved our lives! You saw those akuma last night just like us!" I looked up to meet her face, tears stinging my eyes. I was angry. Angry that she didn't see it. And just overwhelmed. Didn't she remember? "My mom is dead Ellie. Wake up and smell the blood."

Ellie sat there dumbstruck "I-…. I'm sorry." She took a step forward and folded her arms around me. But I wasn't going to cry. Not at all. I was actually older than Ellie by about a year, same thing goes for Sarah. I had to be strong. I couldn't let them think I was weak. Our lives were about to change forever, one way or another.

_Back with the exorcists…._

"What you mean we have to leave them behind!" I stood up angrily to face Kanda.

"Exactly what it means, Moyashi. We leave them here. They'll slow us down." Kanda replied bitterly. Lavi turned to me.

"He's got a point Allen. We can't keep them. They're humans, not pet animals."

"You just don't want Sarah to go crazy again and… 'hug' you."

"Can it, Allen. -_-"

I stuck my tongue out at him. Lena Lee rolled her eyes. "Guys, we really can't just _leave _them here. Seriously, how are they going to get home? Or protect themselves?"

We fell silent at that. She was right. I knew that if we took the girls with us we might get slowed down. But we couldn't just abandon them.

"Okay… how 'bout this?" I said. "They stay with us until we can get them to their families, or their home, and then we'll be on our merry way." I looked at the three of them. "I mean, they've gotta live close by right? It shouldn't be too hard."

"That sounds pretty good." Lavi admitted.

"All in favor, say aye!" Lena Lee said cheerily.

"Aye!"

"Aye"

"….."

"BaKandaaaaaaa…."

"Tch. Whatever."

"Then we're agreed. We get to keep them! YAY!" Lavi sang out joyously. Lena Lee just smiled. Kanda….. was Kanda.

"Alright. They should probably grab some stuff from the room they were staying in." I said. Lena Lee nodded. Lavi just gave a short "YEP!"

"And now… we wait."

* * *

><p><em>Tasha's POV :D (<em>_ Smiley for extra flair!)_

Some how after that little fall out, those two managed to make me laugh. We started to walk back towards the room, as I started to wake up more. It takes me forever to wake up, and I was starting to feel like my regular self again. I put my hand up to finger comb my hair but something stopped me. Not something that realized, something literally stopped me. I stopped walking. "Sarah… Ellie?" They turned to look at me. "Do I… Do I have a bandage on my head?"

The two of them looked at each other, then back at me. "….. Yes." They replied as one.

"GAH! Why didn't anyone tell me!"

"You really are slow…" Ellie smiled and half-sighed, half-laughed.

"We thought you figured it out Tasha." Sarah explained.

"I feel smart…"

"Let's go back to the room, Tasha-chan" Sarah grabbed my wrist and gently guided me back to the room. The exorcists were just sitting there, waiting for us.

Allen was the first to talk, (Inside I was squealing like the mad fangirl I that I am) "If it's okay with you guys, we'll probably have to….. 'escort' you three back to your homes."

"Oh." Is all I said.

"Okaaaay… That makes sense," Ellie said.

"Oh, by the way… what exactly _is_ a glomp?" Lavi asked questioningly.

I looked at Sarah. We both started grinning like mad idiots. "Kanda…" He glanced up at me. "Go stand by the door over there."

"Why should I?" He spat back.

"Because I said so."

The other three exorcists stared at me. "Yeah, that's right. I'm awesome. So, Kanda. Door. Now."

Kanda reluctantly walked over to the door. Sarah started to jump up and down "Can I do it now? CanI doit now? CanIdoitnow? Huh? Huh? CanIdoitnow?"

"Wait a moment." I turned my attention to Kanda. "You have to promise me that whatever we're about to do, you will NOT kill us later. 'Kay?" I ended cheerfully.

"…. What the hell are you going to do to me?"

"You'll find out, now promise."

"…Fine."

"Now?" Sarah was flopping around like a fish out of water.

"Yes." We began to count together. "5….. 4…. 3…. 2…1!"

We bolted forward as everyone in the room became scared out of their wits as the two of us shouted as loud as we could:

"YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-CHAAAAAAAAAAN!"

To say the least, we glomped him.:3

"GET THE HELL OFF OF ME!" Kanda yelled.

"NO!" we cried in unison, me grabbing his leg and Sarah grabbing his arm. He started to try to shake us off.

Ellie just said "If you two don't let go of him right now, I will make you lose the game." Sarah and I let go.

"You suck Ellie…." I said pouting.

"Anyways…. Do you guys anything you need to grab from the room you were staying in? Because if not we'll be leaving soon." Lena Lee said as we calmed down.

I actually wanted to at least get out of the tank top and pajama pants, and apparently Sarah and Ellie also had some stuff to grab. The three of us nodded.

"I'll take them over to the room," Allen offered. "You guys get some food and try to figure our where we're meeting up with Krory and Miranda. You three follow me."

***_Asterisk-ness***_

_XD_

(Still Tasha POV :P)

The hotel that we stayed at was actually right across the street. It was just a quick walk really. What was hard was finding the room. When we finally found it, Sarah ran in and grabbed some gloves that she had gotten from her brother, grabbed some clothes and ran into the bathroom. "I'm changing first!" She called from inside.

Ellie sighed. She gave me a glance I knew far too well. "You wanna grab the Bible from inside the room?" I asked.

"Nah, brought my own, you know to keep my head from exploding with your anime stuff," She replied smirking. I rolled my eyes. If it weren't for the fact that we were standing a room filled with debris, I would probably be laughing my head off. Ellie may seem like a girl who has no time for fun and games, but when you come to know her like Sarah and I do, you keep finding out how amazing she is every time you see her. And the fact that she can't stand my obsession just makes me love her even more.

Except when she refuses to listen when I tell, yes Kanda is boy and no, it's pronounced k-AHN-da, not k-AEN-da.

Eh, what am I supposed to do? Brainwash her? Actually that's a good idea…. xD

I looked around the room, until I had found what I was looking for: a necklace my mother had given to me. It was a small silver chain with a small hummingbird charm on it. She had gotten it for me as a graduation gift on the night of an awards ceremony for eighth grade. I picked up the small chain and started to fiddle with the clasp. As I did so, I turned my attention to the place where my mother had been. It was still dark, but I could see where she had been. I let my hands fall to my side.

"Momma…." Tears started to return to my eyes. This really _was_ real. My mom was never coming back. She was gone forever, like a whisper in the night, or a moment of silence. This world just wasn't fair. I didn't realize that I was crying until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I swiveled my head and found that the hand belonged to Allen. I felt my cheeks grow a little pink as his grip on my shoulder tightened.

"You're not the only one who's lost some one important. You can cry if you want to." That's when I realized there were tears already streaming down my face. I guess I kinda broke down. I didn't do any wailing. I guess I just kind of sank down to the floor tears flowing out whether I fought it or not. And believe it or not, I felt him wrap his arms around me. I didn't care if it _was_ Allen Walker or not, I didn't care that I had just met him. I just wanted to cry and cry and cry until I shriveled up from my face leaking.

*Poke*

I finally looked up from crying for what felt like an eternity. "Neh, Tasha I know what might you feel better!" Sarah chirped.

"And what exactly would that be?" I asked, wiping the last tear that fell.

"Watching the sun rise! C'mon! It'll be so pretty!" She started tugging at my arm.

I gave a small half-hearted laugh, as she pulled me toward the giant hole in the wall. Grabbing jacket as she pulled me, I started thinking a bit more clearly.

If this is life now, so be it.

As long as I have Sarah and Ellie by my side, I knew anything would be possible.

_Anything_.

Pulling on the jacket, as I watched the sun rise with Sarah holding one hand, Ellie taking the other, I knew that some how, when all of this was over, none of us would be the same. Not even the exorcists.

And Sarah was right. The sun rising was beautiful. The sky was painted with streaks of gold and light shades of lilac and pink shading the clouds.

It felt like one of those moments where a song about new beginnings would start playing at a cheesy moment in a movie or tv show.

Almost in response to my thoughts, Sarah, being the odd ball that she is, just started singing a random tune that popped into her head:

'_I promise I'll forget and make a new way,_

_As the sun rises I know that this is a new day…"_

* * *

><p><strong>FINALLY DONE! :D that took way longer than I thought. This is definitely not one of my better chapters…. :P Lots of writer's block…. Bleh. Mwahahahaha.. I fell accomplished! But since school is coming and I'll be a freshman... most likely these be even less frequent.. BUT I WON'T GIVE UP!<strong>

**Review? :3 Pwease?**


	5. Chapter 5 Road trip

**Hahahaha! I started early! I finally got a Word thing on my laptop, so now I can write where ever I go ^^. This calls for extreme joy! Thank you bcozy and Cherry3456 for the reviews as always! Anyways….. Last chapter I felt wasn't up to par -_-' I apologize for that. And also… LOTS of random lyrics will show up in this story, so if you really want to know where they're from, I'll most likely say the song and artist at the end of each chapter.**

**As for the last two chapters, I wrote those lyrics myself. Aren't I amazing?**

**Allen: Can you hurry up with the story?**

**Yua: Not until you do the disclaimer.**

**Allen: dawnstaryua doesn't own D. Gray-Man. Good thing too…..**

**Yua: *smacks***

After darting into the bathroom and quickly changing into some camo pants, some boots, and a black T-shirt, I tied my jacket around my waist before saying good-bye to my old life. I gave one last look to where my mother died, and ran out of the room to catch up with the others. They had left before I did; I needed to grab something[1]. Running to catch up with them, I realized just how weird this really was:

Allen Walker.

He was walking right in front of me.

And talking to two of the closest people to me in the world.

My mind=blown.

It's weird how I've been talking to him for like two hours and I just _now_ figure that out. But then again, I'm a simple person, I don't need much. I just need a pencil, paper, family, and my friends. I don't get all get the best media experince and fitting in and being noticed. As much as I like to deny it, there's always a little piece of me wishing I knew what others think of me. But the fact that they can't get their eyes off the screen and look at a butterfly floating past or the sunset… That's what sets me off.

I shook my head from my thoughts and quickened my pace, catching up to Allen, Ellie, and Sarah.

"Soooo…" I started, "What exactly _are_ you guys doing at an anime convention?" I had to ask. It just didn't make sense to me. I mean, what are the odds that although yes, they did exist, I was starting to finally grasp that, I just wanted to know why they were in New York City.

"Good question…" Allen answered, "Really… I'm not quite sure myself. Heh." He rubbed the back of his next nervously, "We just actually ended up meeting at the outskirts of the city, and we all needed some rest, so we went in the hotel the convention was at and…." He stopped suddenly, "Oh yeah, I actually met you Tasha."

"EH!"

"You don't remember?" He turned to me as we continued walking.

"Wait a second Tasha," Sarah cut in. "You met Allen… and you didn't even tell me! How could you!" She fake pouted tugging on my arm playfully. Weird as ever Sarah.

"Well…. WAIT A SEC! THAT WAS YOU!" Realization dawned on me. I spun to Allen my eyes going completely wide.

name?"

"I thought maybe one of these crazies told you my name," gesturing to Ellie and Sarah, both of them giving me a '_how dare you insult me'_ kind of face.

"What are you two talking about?" Ellie eventually had to ask.

I laughed. "Well, in your words, Ellie, it's a bit of a long story…."

_Flashback__ (I like flash backs, could you tell?xD)_

Sarah was fidgeting with her Lena Lee costume skirt, I could tell it was bugging her. She _hates_ miniskirts with a passion. Sarah was groaning (again) about how much she hated anime and how we had clearly lost our minds. I scanned the booths of the convention to find a restroom or SOMETHING that would give us a meeting point.

Finding what I was looking for, I turned to Sarah and asked, "Do you want to switch costumes? T's okay with me." We were pretty close in height, me being an inch or so taller than my young friend. She gave a nod, and we looked to Ellie for a comment.

She gave what would have been a mushroom sigh in my book, and said "Sure. Fine. Whatever. Let's go."

Ellie leaned against the wall outside the restroom as we quickly changed. Walking out of the stall, I felt my stomach growl. Hunger was starting to nip at my senses, and when I get hungry, for some odd reason all of my senses heighten. Don't ask me how, but every smell just gets sharper and I go on the attack for food. I walked out and turned to Ellie.

"Hey, do you want anything to eat? I'm getting a little hungry," I asked as my stomach growled again.

"Yeah, sure. We'll meet up with you over by that plant-bench thingy." She pointed to something behind me. It was kind of like a bunch of stone benches in front of a fountain with a few potted plants surrounding it.

"Sounds good. I'll catch up with you later." I turned around, trying to find a vendor selling food or something. Believe it or not, I found a person selling mitarashi dango. Pulling out a $20 bill, I bought four, and proceeded to walk towards the fountain thingy, I started munching on one. I actually eat a LOT more than what people expect, and Sarah at very little, and I don't know what goes through Ellie's head about food honestly.

I sat down at one of the benches, watching the water trickling from different levels. And it was really quite peaceful. I was in a city I had only dreamed about with my mom and two of my best friends in the world. Mom actually surprised me with the trip as a _really _early Christmas present. Crazy? Yes. So crazy I wouldn't accept it? Um, NO! And sitting here in a room filled with people that watch anime, that know all the jokes, it's something else. Sarah and I were the only people I knew back home that liked anime.

So… This was right next to being in heaven with a smidge of paradise on the side.

Getting lost in the laughter and shouts of otakus all around me, I got a bit of a shock when I felt a presence behind me, and a small, nervous asked "Um, is it alright if I sit next to you?"  
>I turned around, a mitarashi dango sticking out of my mouth, and found looking up at a Allen Walker cosplayer.<p>

Who was really,_ really_ cute, might I add.

Feeling a slight rosy color brush my cheeks, I replied, "No, I mean! Uh… Yeah, it's alright if you sit on the bench…. I mean," I started to feel like an idiot. "It's not like I own the bench right?" I mentally slapped myself. '_Way to go Tasha.'_

He sat down next to me and smiled, "So… Your name is…?"

"Isn't it common courtesy to introduce yourself first before asking for another's name?" I said with a playful laugh. The boy gave me a weird look. I leaned back and used my arms to support me, gripping the edge of the stone bench (they were the really fancy kind that are curved with a polished surface and no back). "My name's Tasha. What's yours?"

He looked down, a slight blush on his face. "My name's Allen."

I shot back up, "Okay… so what's your _real_ name?"

"Allen. Seriously."

"Dude…" I paused letting that function into my brain. His name was Allen, and he was cosplaying _ as _Allen Walker…. "That's legit." I pulled the mitarashi out of my mouth. "Did you decide to cosplay as him to, like, throw people off? And your scar looks so realistic." I turned to face him. I have huge problems with eye contact, so it was hard to keep my eyes on his face. It really didn't help that he had the most dazzling eyes I've ever seen. "It looks so… Real. Did you use those stick-on things? Or did you use a make up kit or something?" He gave me a really weird look, but I didn't notice, I was getting a little carried away. "Or was it one of those stretchy-stick things that you get in Halloween makeup packages? Y'know I don't use those, they always bug me and give me a rash. But if they work on you, I might try them again!" I realized I was looking away from him again, and I quickly turned my head back to him with a smile on my face.

He just sat there for a moment, dumbfounded. Then he bursted out laughing, leaning forward and holding his stomach from laughing so hard. I sat there a bit confused. Was it something I said? Oh crap, he probably thought I was an idiot, or a blabbermouth or something crazy. When he finally calmed down, he straightened back up, and through a little laughter, "Y'know, I don't think I've ever met some one like you Tasha." He smiled at me with a look worthy of one of those angelic singing moments.

My heart started pounding and I felt my face grow hot. I quickly looked away. "Heh." I said though trying to get my voice not to waver. "What do you mean by that exactly?" I turned back to face him after a few deep breaths. '_Make eye contact. That's how people know you're listening. Nod at what he says.'_

He sat back, his arms supporting him as he said, "I really don't thi-"

His stomach growled.

Depression lines seemed to immediately fall around him. I looked at the three remaining mitarashi dango sitting next to me. I sighed, and handed one to him, not looking at him. "Here."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I mean, why not? You seem like a nice enough guy." _'Oh wait… Crap, that probably sounded weird.'_ I started blushing as I fought not to meet his gaze. "I mean, y-you're alright, I guess… and you're hungry sooo…"

He smiled and took it, eating at it hungrily. "Thanks Tasha!" In that moment, he was the very definition of omnomnom-ing.

I stared at him as he finished it in less than 10 seconds. "Dude. You even eat like him. That's scary."

"Says the girl dressed as Lena Lee."

"Ah. Touche!" I laughed. I started to swivel my head around, looking for my friends.

"What's wrong? Are you looking for some one?" Allen asked.

"Uh, yeah… I was waiting for them here, they should be any second…." I caught sight of Sarah in the Fo costume and Ellie with her arms crossed across her chest close behind. "Oh, there they are!" I stood up and started waving. "Heeey! Over here!" I called out.

Sarah caught sight of me and turned to Ellie, and they both started to wave and started to walk quickly over.

I turned around to Allen. He was standing up and stretching. "I guess I better get going now…" He muttered and turned to walk away.

I don't know why, but I was blushing again. "Uh…" I started softly "Uh… HEY WAIT!" I pulled on his sleeve.

He glanced back at me. "Uh….. See you around?" I stammered.

He looked at me, a confused look on his face, then he turned around quickly. "Yeah… See you!" He began to walk away, giving a short wave.

"Sooooo… who was that, Tasha?" Sarah's voice startled me, her tone obviously implying _something_.

"Uh…" Realizing I was still blushing, I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. "No one. Absolutely no one."

"Okay, let's go, I wanna see if there are any booths for D. Gray-Man!" She pulled my arm in the opposite direction. But I still kept looking where I had seen his back retreating into the crowd. Sarah started babbling about something they had seen while they were looking for me that she wanted me to explain, since I was kind of her senior in the otaku world, but I wasn't paying attention.

I couldn't shake it from my mind. It was probably my imagination but….

Before he turned around and walked away…

Was he….

Was he actually blushing?

_Flashback end_

"Yep. That was me." Allen said, "Never thought I'd be seeing you again actually."

Mind=Blown.

Again.

"So that's who you were talking to, Tasha! Wow. What are the odds of that!"Sarah said excitedly.

Ellie rolled her eyes, clearly trying to find some logical way out of this. Sarah continued to babble energetically. I looked over at Allen, who to my amazement was able to take in everything she said. Allen responded and nodded and smiled to everything she said.

And then she asked a question that made all four of us laugh, walking through a crumbling building in the middle of a deserted city.

"So Allen, how much do you think Kanda hates us now?"

"Actually, he hates everyone."

We met up with the other exorcists out in the street. "You guys all set?" Lavi asked.

"All ready!" Sarah answered for all of us.

"Soooo… Where exactly _do_ you guys live?" Lena Lee asked.

"We live in a place in Michigan… do you guys have a map?" Ellie said. Lavi pulled out one from his pocket. Lena Lee and Allen looked at him, clearly confused.

"When…. Did you get that?" Lena Lee asked.

"Picked it up a while ago," Lavi said, matter-of-factly.

"We should probably find some way to get there, it's a long ways away." Sarah said looking at some of the beat up cars surrounding us.

"Why? Can't we just grab a taxi?" Ellie, (shock of my life) asked.

"Ellie…." I turned to her, a little bit of annoyance in my voice. "It's way too far to take a taxi. It's maybe 700 miles from here to where we live. _And all the taxi drivers are dead._"

There was moment of silence as she remembered that we were the only survivors of this big city. "Oh yeah…" Ellie muttered.

Lena Lee tried to break the mournful feeling over our little group. "Okay, let's find a car, and you guys show us where you live." We started to walk up the street.

"Lemme see the map." Lavi handed me the map. Unfolding it, I realized it was only of New York and te few surrounding states. Great. "We live…" I pulled out the word 'live' like bubble gum as I pointed to a non-existent area far to the left of the map. "Right about here."

"So the map's inadequate?" Kanda finally spoke. "Typical of the baka usagi to screw things up."

"Yuu-chan, you're so mean!" Lavi whined. Kanda's arm started twitching, the urge to draw mugen rising extremely fast.

"So… We probably need a GPS, right? Since we don't have a good map, after all." Ellie said trying to break the obvious tension between the two boys that acted like five-year-olds.

"What about a map? That could work to. We just need to find one." Sarah asked.

I realized what was about to go down, so I slowly started to inch away to my right. Some serious stuff was about to go down. I scooted a little closer to Allen.

"No. Maps are stupid. It would only show one state, and I have the direction sense of a rock." Ellie countered.

"No one said you were going to be driving. Or being navigator for that matter…" Sarah said with a little giggle, showing she was teasing. Ellie didn't see it.

Thing is about Ellie: she can't stand to be wrong. Ever. She will not take no for answer. And she will fight with you until there is nothing to fight about on who's right and who's wrong.

"Well I highly doubt any of them could read all the little lines on our mas that are so confusing anyways!" Ellie said a tad angrily.

"But we could do it like the pioneers! It'd be so much fun!" Sarah said in her silly pout voice. That is te only way to describe that voice. She uses it in every kind of situation.

"No. Maps are just stupid. We need a GPS!" Ellie spat.

"Hey now, hey now," I finally cut in. "Calm your faces." Gesturing to the exorcists, I added "And you're scaring the little ones. Be nice."

"What ever…. I FOUND A GPS!" Ellie ran to one of the cars on the other side of the street. Reaching through the broken glass of the driver's side window, she unlocked the door and pulled out a GPS.

"What is a GPS anyway?" Lena Lee asked.

"Global Positioning System. It pretty much tells you where you are on Earth."

"Wait," Lavi hesitated. "You mean that little scare thing can actually pinpoint where we are?"

"Not exactly…" Sarah said, and she began to tell Lavi and Lena Lee the wonders of the satellite in space that sends signals to the GPS on the location it was at and what's around it.

After walking for a while, we eventually found a car that wasn't in absolute terrible condition that would hold all of us. It was a bonus that the keys were still in the ignition.

So now we wonder who's going to drive.

Ellie and Sarah turned to me.

"What!"

"You were supposed to be taking Driver's Ed, right?" Ellie said, "I mean, you met the age recquirement…"

"Ellie…. My um… 'condition' doesn't allow me to see over the steering wheel…."

Ellie blinked. Then erupted into laughter, nearly falling over and beginning to hyoerventalate before Allen just had to ask: "Um… What condition?"

Since Ellie was going insane with her laughter, and I really don't like the answer, Sarah just said: "She means she's short."

My urge to kill rising….. ANYWAYS!

"Anyways, no I can NOT drive." I said through gritted teeth, angry veins popping around me. "So some one else will just to do it."

"Um…" Lavi began. We all turned to him. "I actually observed some of the taxi drivers' dtiving, so I thnk I might know how…"

I sat there with a 'Oh shiitake mushrooms we're probably going to die' look.

"Sooo…. You're sure you can drive this thing?" I asked from the passenger's seat. Allen and Ellie ended up sitting in the two middle sits, and Sarah was sitting in between Lenalee and Kanda.

"Yeah, I never forget anything I see so I should just be able to replicate what the driver did and we should be all good." He replied.

"That's what worries me….." I said thinking of one of my past experiences with a few family friends, three different taxis, and a trip to the aquarium in Chicago. Let's just say I try to avoid looking at orange taxis now.

I turned on the GPS and entered my address. We just settled on going to my house and Sarah and Ellie could contact their families from there. I buckled my seat belt and turned around. "Everyone all set?"

A bunch of "All set"s and "Ready to go"s and a "Tch." Was my reply. I turned back to Lavi. "Ready when you are!" I said smiling nervously.

Lavi turned the key in the ignition, put his foot down on the gas….

…

….

The trip to Chicago sounds really nice right about now….

To say the least when Lavi tried to follow what the robotic voice of the GPS said, he made such tight turns I thought I would lose what was left of my nonexistent breakfast, and he drove like a demon.

The seatbelt didn't help _at all_. I think I crashed into the head board at least once. And slammed my head into the side window at least five times.

So…. All hell broke loose.

"LAVI! STOP THE CAR! NOW!" Lenalee screamed from the back seat. Said red head slammed down on the brakes, lurching everyone in the car forward, a few people hitting their heads on the seat in front of them.

Lavi turned around very slowly. "Is everyone alright?"

After muttering a few profanities, Kanda shouted "Do we look okay you idiot?"

"Lavi, we are never letting you near the front of a car again." Allen added.

I hurriedly unbuckled myself from the car and slammed the car door open, bolting for the wall of a nearby building. Everyone else got out of the car to get some stable ground. I took some deep breaths as I steadied myself by placing my hand on the wall next to me. That was worse than the time that…

Never mind. _No one_ needs to know about that.

"Tasha, you okay over there?" Allen called.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But I am never sitting in the front seat ever. Again."

Sarah smacked Lavi's shoulder. "You scarred my friend for life! How dare you!"

Lavi rubbed his shoulder "Ow…."

Ellie saw this as a time to take a moment of command. "Okay. New plan. Kanda, you're driving. Every one back in the van.

Now this is where things got weird. Allen got in the passenger's seat. Kanda had no problem with being the driver until he saw this. But before he could protest, Lavi interrupted from one of the middle seats, "I don't think anyone at the moment is really all that obliged to switch at the moment. Plus, it'll just be more 'bonding time' for the two of you." He added with a grin.

Sarah just shook her head from the seat next to Lavi and laughed.

Ellie, Lenalee and I were in the back seat. I certainly wasn't going to move to the front, and Ellie decided to stick with the backseat driver approach.

And Lenalee was asleep. She took care of all night, so she deserved a rest.

Kanda sighed and turned the keys in the ignition. And we were on our way.

After driving for maybe three hours, two of which spent on the highway, and there were a few other cars driving by, and everyone in the car had just about dozed off, except Kanda, Allen, and me. We traveled on in silence, no one saying a word. It wasn't like they didn't like us. It was because when we got to my house, we probably would never see these people from the Black Order ever again, so why get attached.

I was slowly starting to drop into sleep when I suddenly felt a chill run up my spine. Not the kind you spontaneously get for no reason. No. This one was more… dreadful. I felt like there was something clunking around inside my brain, filling my heart with fear. The air around me seemed demonic. I couldn't breathe.

It was last night all over again.

Allen suddenly broke the silence. "Kanda. Brake. Now."

"What?" Kanda replied icily.

"Brake!"

"No. We're in the middle of a highway!" (I was shocked he even knew what that was.)

Without any more being said, Allen unbuckled the seat belt, and as it slowly started to retract, he kind of half stood and reached his leg over and stomped on the brakes.

That's when I got a good look at his face.

His eye had activated.

It was time to fight.

**Cliff hanger epicness!**

**I can NOT believe I pulled off getting this online so fast. Epic win! xD**

**Reviews welcome! Constructive criticism. please?**


	6. Chapter 6 Gloves

**Okay… Sooooo…. YAY! Positive feedback from reviews! I want to give a shout out to elephant1213, Cherry3456, bcozy, and kawaiipanda. :D**

**I like smileys… and Flashbacks… could you tell?**

**No flashbacks of randomness this time of Allen's omnomnominess though :/**

**Ah well…**

**Lena Lee: Yua doesn't own D. Gray-Man. Otherwise… *looks at disclaimer paper* …**

**Yua: What?**

**Lena Lee: I'm not doing this.**

**Yua: Why!**

**Lena Lee: I just won't.**

**Yua: …. Ugh, FINE!… *perks up* Laaaaaaaaaviiiiiiiiiii?**

***Off in the distance* WHAT!**

**Yua: DO THE DISCLAIMER!**

**Lavi: No.**

**Yua: Fine, I'll do it. I don't own D. Gray-Man. Or GPS's. Because if I did GPS's would have sexy Australian/Spanish/British accents and all the characters would have to do all the dares that you people keep making fanfics about. **_** Everything…**_ :)

* * *

><p>Allen banged the door open, smacking it so hard that I think it became a little disconnected. It looked crooked later on, that door never shut right again. But thankfully the abrupt stop jolted every one awake, Lavi and Lenalee flying out of their seats after the shock of being awoken. Kanda was just a step behind Allen, already having activating mugen as akuma began appearing out of absolutely nowhere.<p>

The exorcists were fighting akuma, and we in some tiny little car that could get blown to bits at any moment.

"Ellie! Sarah! Get up getup get up get up _now!_" I hissed shaking Ellie awake. I reached forward and started shaking Sarah's shoulder. They were up in a manner of seconds. We bolted out of the car and into the highway, not knowing what to expect. My head start spinning around, as the sickening feeling just made me dizzy. I knelt on the ground putting my hand over my mouth. _'Oh, CRAP. What's going on?'_

I couldn't feel, I couldn't hear, it was so sickening…

"MOVE YOU GUYS!" Allen turned around and called out. I looked up and glanced at an akuma that was aiming right at us. I tried to stand, but it was too late.

It had shot.

I shut my eyes and gave a short yelp. Ellie grabbed me, wrapping her arms around my neck. I waited for the nothingness that they call death. I wondered if I would go to heaven. I hope I see mom.

I realized I wasn't dead, and looked up.

And what I saw completely threw me for a loop.

Sarah had her arms stretched in front of her, the green circles on her gloves glowing. She had turned away, scrunching her eyes shut, a look of absolute fear on her face. I looked around; there was a giant green dome thing around us.

Sarah just saved our lives.

"Sarah!" I shouted, "Look up!" Sarah snapped into reality and looked around.

"Whoooooaaa…. Who did this?" She asked.

Ellie growled, "You did!"

"I did?..." she let that sink in. "….. OMICAMELS I HAVE INNOCENCE!"

She was about to celebrate when about five more level one akuma started shooting at her little shield. Obviously, it was more than she could handle, because cracks started appearing where the bullets were hitting. She couldn't take it much longer. And then, BAM! Lavi comes in swinging his giant hammer.

"Well, I wouldn't be too sure about it being innocence just yet. You guys alright?" He asked while slamming another akuma.

"Yeah! We're just fine." I said as Sarah's dome shattered.

Sarah pulled her hands back to examine them. Very, very quietly, she whispered into her hands "Innocence activate." Her gloves started glowing even brighter. This was actually the first time I got a good look at them. They were black fingerless gloves with green lining around her wrists and around her fingers, and a sort of green gem in the middle, where the glowing was coming from.

Lavi turned to Sarah. "Sarah? Let me see those gloves for a moment." She took the gloves and handed them to Lavi. They immediately stopped glowing as they passed from her hands to his. "Well, I can't have the ultimate say, but looks like innocence to me." He said, handing the gloves back to the young girl. "Where'd you get them?"

"Now's not a good time Lavi!" Allen said charging by, chasing an akuma with his arm activated as a gun.

"Right…"Lavi said tilting his head down to look at the small ball of energy Sarah is. "Do you think you can do anything else with them?"

"I….I don't know." She responded. Well good grief, of course she doesn't know! Because we've been _totally _not telling you she had innocence, we were only pretending to be three girls who were weak so you wouldn't take Sarah away.

Wait… Dang.

She's going to be an exorcist now! We won't see her again most likely. Lavi and Sarah were talking about this while Kanda, Lena Lee, and Allen were destroying more akuma, but they just kept coming at us from every direction, but I wasn't paying attention. These people who I didn't believe, couldn't believe they could have existed had saved our lives, were about to save us again, and now they were going to take Sarah away. This _can't_ be happening. It just _can't!_ Sarah tugged her gloves back on and turned to Ellie and me and said "I'm going to try something." Lavi had already rejoined the fight, and Sarah aimed at an approaching level one. She stretched out her hand, her eyes locked on the akuma that was drawing ever nearer to our trio. She muttered something inaudible to me and a green orb shot from her hand, nailing the akuma in its distraught black and white face. Ellie and I sat there wide eyed. Sarah jumped up and down. "Omigosh omigsosh! This is way too cool!" She squealed in delight.

"But doesn't that mean…." I whispered, holding on to Ellie's arms hanging around my shoulders. "Doesn't that mean…" I looked up, tears fighting my will to look strong for them. "Doesn't that mean you have to go?"

Realization dawned on Sarah as her face did a 180. "Yeah… I guess it does," she said looking down.

Another surge of akuma started to spill onto the highway, and I knew I couldn't keep Sarah from fighting.

Sarah's hands started glowing, and she hoped right into the battle, not a second thought for her safety. Seeing the concern etched on my face, she gave me a smile and said, running into the battle: "It's okay! I'll be alright!" Outstretching her hand, the glowing around her hand brightened and suddenly a green light shot from her right hand and destroyed another akuma.

Ellie, still holding on to me, and I, sat there, blown away. Sarah was an exorcist. Holy crap.

Everyone was protecting me, and I couldn't do anything, I just felt so helpless, like there was nothing I could but stand there and watch. And they were going to take Sarah _away_. I finally understood how Ellie felt not wanting to believe in the unbelievable. Because when we got home….

When we finally returned to Michigan….

We wouldn't see Sarah.

Again.

Ever.

I wanted to breakdown. But I knew I couldn't.

I had to be strong. I was older than Ellie and Sarah. And I made a promise to myself I would protect them. They were there for me when I couldn't be there for myself, I wanted to repay them and stick by their side until the end of it all, I would protect them even if it meant saying goodbye. And now all of this Black Order stuff, it was just driving me insane. I wasn't angry, or upset. I guess I was confused. Why had all this happened in the first place?

Then that weird feeling came back.

The one from last night, before I lost consciousness. It started feeling like a row of needles were sticking themselves into my neck. Except the pain went further this time, clawing its way down to the area between my shoulder blades. I screamed out in pain. Ellie stepped back as something began to burst from my back.

"Oh… Oh… Oh my… Oh my gosh Tasha…" She looked at me in fear as my legs gave out. I looked up to the sky, wishing this pain would just go. It hurt. It hurt so much. And then I heard something crack. The pain heightened for a split second, making me yelp, and then it ceased. And I felt my center of gravity get really weird. I fell on my back.

"Ow….." It hurt more than I had thought. Propping myself up on my hands, I looked over shoulder to see what threw my balance off.

'_Oh my gosh.'_

Sprouting from my back was a black velvety wing. I turned to my other side. Two black wings.

I stood up and realized these… 'wings' were in the shape of a butterfly's. I had to do a double take. They had the exact same pattern as Tyki's teeze.

Ellie continued to stare at me, a look that could only be described as 'What the heck?'

"Soooo…" I turned to her, "When did those get there?" I asked. She just stared. I sighed. She was as caught off guard as I was. "Hellooooooo… Earth to Ellie! Yoohoooooo.." I waved my hand in front of her face. Sheput her hand to her mouth and pointed to something behind me. I whipped my head around to be met by a bullet speeding at me. I cringed and gave a short yelp, and nothing happened. Opening my eyes, I saw a shade of a purplish black. Ohhhhhhh. So they're _not _black, just really close to it.

Wait. What about the bullet.

"Oh. My. Just… Whoa." I turned to Ellie, her voice quivering as she continued. "That thing on your back… it moved completely on its own."

…

WHAT?

Wait. Doesn't Allen's innocence do that when he's unconscious sometimes…. Like with Eliade?

Oh.

Oh my GOD!

Is…

Could….

Do I have innocence?

"TASHA! MOVE!" I whipped around to see it was Lena Lee who was the one who said it, and turned back around to see the akuma redirect the guns sticking out at Ellie.

Without a hesitation, I pushed my legs forward straight for her, my "wings" snapping like a whip in reaction, giving me an extra push of speed. I picked Ellie up as I heard a roar like a gunshot, landing and pushing forward again. When I finally landed, 20 feet away, Ellie squirming in my arms, I looked over my shoulder to see a giant dust cloud where we had just been. I breathed a sigh of relief. _'At least she's safe…' _I dropped Ellie to the ground, she steadied herself and looked ready to slap me, but I didn't care.

My wings…. They were practically alive. I could feel them twitching and writhing behind me. The looked like a mix between four set leaves in a diagonal pattern and butterfly wings. Confusing sounding? Definitely. But I could feel the tips lightly twitching, tugging me toward the akuma that tried to kill Ellie, and nearly took out Sarah. I wasn't going to just stand there.

I was going to destroy that thing. I turned fully around to face it. "Ellie," I said without turning around, she turned her attention to me. "Get out of here, now. Or just stay behind me. Just don't get shot, got it?" I spat out the last bit angrily, my rage slowly building.

How dare that akuma try to take _my _friends? _My_ family? It was so going to pay.

Before Ellie could pull me back from running into battle, my legs sprang forward, practically making me parallel to the ground, my legs shoving against any surface to bounce off of to move forward. The wings that had spontaneously burst from my back were working with me, pushing and fitting itself to my body, so that I may move even faster. And it felt amazing, the air blasting past me, and everything blurred into bright colors. All that mattered was that I kill that akuma.

Play time was over, along with my old life.

It was time to fight.

* * *

><p><strong>Meh. I am displeased with this chapter for SO many reasons. Ah well. Soooo… review? Maybe?<strong>

**And yeah. I Know it sucks. 'Cause I have issues.**

**With a lot of things. Namely, fluffy pink stuff and action scenes. :P**

**Oh well! Thank you to all of you who are still reading my story! And I tried to get this up by the first week of school, but that epicly failed soooo soooooorrryyyyy….. And I'm so sorry it's so short. I thought that would be an awesome cliffhanger. and a friend of mine said that if I post pictures of my drawings of Tasha and other peoples online and posted this chapter, she'd show me her picture of Rhode. :) BYE! REVIEW PLEASE!**


	7. Chapter 7 Wings

**Haha, I'm getting an early start this time :P Cuz I need to, like really bad. Being a freshman SUCKS! I LOVE elephant1213! SHE IS AMAZING AND BETTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE **

**And if that changed any of your opinions of me because I am a freshman…. Sorry. And fyi. No, this TWO reasons. 1) Those of you who read the manga know what I mean when I say I emotionally died when I read the last 3 chapters. 2) A friend of mine who is reading the story isn't up to date with all of D. Gray-Man story yet. Soooo…. I want her to find out herself when she gets there. And not through spoilers… So….. Yeah, this is sorta after the anime and-**

**Oh screw it. It's in our time. Let's put it that way. KANDA! DO THE DISCLAIMER!**

**Kanda: ….. No.**

**Yua: Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? *whiny***

**Kanda: I don't want to.**

**Yua: I won't put pink ribbons in your hair again.**

**Kanda: ….Dawnstaryua doesn't own D. Gray-Man. As much as she'd like to. But she doesn't, because there is no way in life that she can draw Moyashi's hair.**

…**.. When **_**did **_**you put ribbons in my hair?**

**Yua: Umm…. *drops picture of Kanda sleeping with ribbons in his hair* *runs***

**Kanda: GET BACK HERE DAMMIT!**

* * *

><p>So I'm blindly rushing at this giant balloon-like killing machine when I realize: how<em> am<em> I going to destroy this thing? I landed maybe twenty feet before the akuma that tried to kill my friend and looked up at it quizzically and a bit in fear. It really was ugly. Uglier than I could describe. It almost seemed to have matted rope or hair that came down in knots and tangles from the bottom, almost like a sick and twisted joke, like it was a Halloween decoration gone wrong. The gray covering its body was like clay, lumping together where the guns were protruding from the body of the akuma. And its face…. _Its face!_ Its face had black streaks across its cheeks, a black star on its forehead, and its face just twisted in pure agony and pain, almost as if it were trying to scream out desperately for help. But all it could do was direct the guns in my direction, load itself with a faint 'ch-chk' and… fire.

Before I could react I was pushed off the ground, floating and shooting upward at the same time. _It was the wings! _They had moved on their own, again. I could feel them tipping me forward, until I was tumbling in to a flip, and suddenly it became clear. Closing my eyes, I tucked in my head and extended my right leg and tilted forward. A strange sensation covered my leg, as if it were being wrapped in a silk scarf. My body continued tilting, until I felt my leg make contact with the akuma. My eyes snapped back open and with my other foot I pushed back off the akuma as it started to explode. The wrapping around my leg melted back, as I turned around to figure out what wrapped around my leg. The right lower wing was pulling back from my leg, almost reconstructing itself back to its original pattern. I decided to try something.

I stretched my right arm out in front of me, and my right upper wing bended down, down, down, and it slowly tattoed itself across my arm, a glowing green swirling pattern covering my arm. "Whoa…." I made my hand into a fist. The glowing pattern swirled farther down my arm and wove itself though my fingers and thumb. I opened my hand again, palm up, my arm looked like there was a skincolored cloth covering my arm with an intricate design of green around it.

So _that's_ what my innocence did…..

Lifting my gaze, I saw something that I could only dream of. Lavi was swinging his hammer at a level one akuma, Lena Lee was floating through the air and flitting around faster than a leaf in the wind, landing attacks on an akuma as if in in time to a dance, Kanda was cutting up akuma so easily like they were made of butter (Yeah, I know that's a terrible way to put it, but it looked like that), and Allen had his claw activated, the gray whitish one. He was taking out as many akuma as he could. They were the professionals after all. Then my eyes fell on Sarah.

She took to her innocence like a fish to water. The gloves had obviously been made into an anti-akuma weapon a long time ago; otherwise it wouldn't be working so smoothly with her using it. She was having trouble with her footing, staying on balance and dodging at the same time, and shooting at the akuma trailing her. But she was strong, she could fight, I knew she could handle it. But as more akuma closed in on her, I pushed off the ground and shot upwards. Weaving the innocence around my arms while in midair, and shot straight down toward where Sarah was becoming surrounded by akuma.

"Hiiiiiiii!" I said excitedly, landing behind her, back to back. "Need some help?"  
>"Tasha?" she glanced at me over her shoulder, shocked, "Wha-"<br>"Questions later, fight now!" I said jumping forward, my left arm connecting with an akuma. I landed back by her side.

She stared at me and smirked, and dashed forward and struck another akuma, a bolt of green light shooting from her hand. As it seemed like more akuma were surrounding us, I realized how fast my energy was dropping. I hadn't had food in over 12 hours, and I was exhausted as is. I was barely dodging attacks; I was dodging, but clumsily, losing my footing a few times. Sarah almost seemed to breeze through using her attacks.

I jumped and kicked another akuma, pushing off of it and landing a blow to another akuma a few feet away, my stamina depleting by the second. My breathing was heavier, and my legs were starting to give out on me. If it weren't for the fact that Sarah was fighting just as I was, I probably would've fallen over from exhaustion.

"Tasha! You okay?" I heard Allen's voice from behind me. I tossed a glance at him from over my shoulder. His arm had changed into the cannon-like weapon, and he was walking toward me.

"Just fine," I panted. "A little overwhelmed…" I jumped and sloppily landed another attack. "But fine."

"That's- GET DOWN!" He suddenly shouted, reaching forward with his right arm and pulling me toward him as a shot whizzed by me. He held me against his body, and I felt my face just explode with heat. My heart was fluttering in my chest.

"Uh… Allen. Can I move now?" I said almost whispering. He looked down and let go and got a pancked look on his face. I just looked down my face as red as Lavi's hair. Yeah. I t was _that_ red. My eyes were wide, and I could barely breathe.

That was like every fangirls dream. I nearly had a nosebleed. Holy crap.

"Oh geez sorry about that! I just didn't want you to get hit is all! Are you alright?" I didn't answer for a moment.

"….. Yeah. I… I'm okay." I said robotically. "Can you… Go see if Ellie is okay?"

"Uh… sure!" he turned and ran the other way, when a level two came from nowhere. It was so quiet, it had snuck up on me too. Time stopped for a moment, no noise made it through to me. The level two was huge, and had a tail that looked like skin had been peeled away to leave a metallic set of bones that bended and snapped, and its body was largely built and furry, it almost looked like a wolf on its hind legs.

My body moved without me thinking. If I can just save one life, one soul, by using myself I would do it. I had told friends that before.

* * *

><p>"Hey! Hey! Check this out Jed!" I called from a cat door. Jed, one of my guy friends, looked down at my one blue eye looking though the cat door with my Nerf gun sticking out.<p>

"You look like Riza Hawkeye, Tasha," He sighed. We were having a Nerf gun fight at Jakk's house. It was one of my memories with the guys. I grew up by them, they were like my brothers, Jed, Jakk, and Tyrone.

"So then I am in this military to protect someone aren't I?" I smirked.

"Whyyyy down there though?"

"Tyrone will never see me. MWAHAHAHA!" I cackled "Now Jed, hide. I'll protect you."

"You? Protect me?" He waved a hand referring to his 6 ft. tall slender frame. "I don't think so Tasha."

"Shut up maybe? Thanks." I mumbled. "I've got you covered."

He moved to hide behind the staircase, totally silent for a moment. "….. I knew it."

"What?" I spat, getting into my intense killing machine mode.

"You're a motherly type."

"WHAT?" I sat up, my head smacking the door. "Owww…..The hell does that mean? I just want to protect the people I love, there are people I know that deserve to live way more than me. I will go to any end to make sure my friends are happy, even if it kills me." I thought of Ellie and Sarah, having said that.

"See? Motherly." I was about to shout something back when Jakk came rushing down to tell us Tyrone was coming and that we needed to hide, and Jed and I never really finished our conversation.

* * *

><p>That conversation flashed through my mind as my body acted on its own, pushing me into the akuma's way as its tail whipped around and darted toward Allen. It came in contact with my stomach, giving me a gash, my blood splattering in front of me.<p>

Red. It was red.

"A-… A-Allen…" I felt my eyes go blank as I coughed up blood. It hurt. It hurt so much. It hurt to bleed. It hurt to think. Nothing registered. Not when Allen turned around. Not when he screamed my name. Not when I heard Ellie screaming as she ran toward my falling body. My lips somehow twisted into a twisted smile, no more pain. At least Ellie was safe. And Allen was fine, too. Yay. Bonus.

My sight became hazy. I saw Sarah run to my side, Allen kneeling down, his face in front of mine, him shaking my shoulders. My body was going numb. I was scared out of my mind. But they were okay.

What happens to me? That's only a detail.

_***Meanwhile…..***_

"I would assume you all are wondering why I have called you here today." The Earl said from the head of the table. As cliché as it is, he said it just like that. Rhode smirked.

"Of course, Millenie. I would guess something big is going to happen, right?" She asked while licking her lollipop.

"Really, Rhode, there's no need to rush him." Tykki said calmly beside her.

"Actually, this directly concerns Rhode. Maybe you even Tykki." The Earl said as if it was obvious. Now this sparked Rhode's interest. Was it about Allen? Or maybe the 14th? Maybe she would get to get an exorcist doll~.

"You remember the prisoner, correct?" She dropped her fork, completely startled. They were talking about _that?_ Oh sugar and candy no. Not this. She didn't want to think about that complete fail. They weren't talking about that.

"Yes, I remember." She reluctantly stated. Tyki nodded. Jasdero and Devi stopped from their… idiotic playing.

"Hiiii. Yeah, we remember!" Jasdero chimed.

"Bitch wouldn't play with us… and then that cat kid came in and blew up the basement!" Devi said almost angrily. "All we did was shoot blue bombs at her….. she should have been able to dodge…"

"She's alive." Silence filled the room. Rhode froze. So the games would continue on then, in a never ending circle of hunt and be hunted. So be it. But she didn't want that. Not now. Not when getting the 14th back had been _so close._ So damn close.

"What do you mean she's alive?" Rhode slammed her hands against the table, rising from her seat. Tyki looked at her startled. Well, this was new. She _never_ reacted that much to really bad news, at least not like _this_! She seemed to be freaking out, so obvious that he could feel it from where he sat next to her. Her body was rigid, completely stone like.

Rhode was not happy. _Not happy. _In fact, she was pissed.

And we all know that's never good.

"Exactly that Rhode." Tyki said, calmly. "The girl's alive."

"That's the dreadful part," The Earl continued. "The wonderful part is that….." He paused for a dramatic effect. "She doesn't remember." His grin seemed to broaden as he said it, his hands folded before him. He seemed quite pleased actually. The prisoner was possibly what could mean their end. She was a musician, like Allen. It was dangerous to let her live. Then again….

Lulubell cut into all their thoughts. "You're hoping she might awaken the fourteenth, aren't you?"

The Earl's grin seemed to change to a grimace. "It's a slim chance, but still possible…. If that plan backfires…"

Silence again filled the room. They all knew what could happen. Either they could've awakened their worst nightmare in both the girl, and Allen, or they might bring upon themselves more frightful then the innocence.

But Rhode wanted revenge. She wanted that girl dead. And her head on a mount on her wall. And her hands pinned to another with her candles. She wanted that girl annihilated. She sat back down, trying to cool the insanity nipping at her nerves' ends.

"If it comes to that, let me _kill her_." Ice in her voice, she shot daggers in her glare at nothing in particular, just staring, hoping that maybe she could cause pain to the said girl if she just willed it. "Please…. Just let me be the one to finish her off." She pleaded through her eyes, shifting her gaze to the Earl.

"Fine, just not quite yet, alright?" He said.

She nodded, and stood up from the elegant chair supporting her. "Excuse me." She turned and dashed to her make shift room. Since coming to this new era, with new technology, and things as such, manors and households like the ones she was too were in scarcity, but they found one. It was a decent enough room, it suited her well enough, but if she could, she would give it a nice make over, with wrapping gift wallpaper instead of pink flowers decorating the walls. All the pink kinda made her sick.

She walked to the canopy bed she had been using, and picked up a special plush. It loked like the girl who had once been her prisoner, her doll, her plaything.

Her friend.

The doll had a stitched mouth and red button eyes, and a white yarn and cloth mesh that served as hair. It wore a black and white dress, symbolizing the demons and angels inside her.

She looked at the doll in adoration, contempt, and absolute hate. She felt tears of anger reach her eyes as she brought her hand to the doll's 'hair'. After stroking for a moment, she dug her nails into the head of the doll and ripped it straight off, fluff and stuffing littering her bed. A devious smile worked its way to her lips as she looked up after coming to her conclusion.

"I guess we'll get to play again…." She turned and walked out of he room. "Little Tasha dear…"

***_Back with the exorcists…***_

_((Allen's POV))_

"OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH WHATA We DO WHATTA WE DO WHATAA WE DOOOOOO?" Sarah was having a panic attack as her arms flailed everywhere. The level two had been the last of the akuma, and Lavi took him out using Hiban. I leaned down so that my face was in front of hers.

"Tasha! Tasha? Can you hear me? Tasha!" I shook her shoulder, my arm returning to normal. "Tasha! WAKE UP!" I was practically shouting. I didn't want anyone to die. I may have just met Tasha, but that didn't mean I couldn't care for her. She was so nice, and she was bursting with so much life. It was scary to see her boy so still. And the blood. Oh God, the _blood_. It wouldn't stop. It seemed to continue coming out of her, the pipes in her body broken and apparently sprung a leak.

"What the crap did you do to Tasha!" I sat up to see Ellie storming toward me, anger rolling off her slim frame like fire. "I _knew_ this would happen. I just _knew _it would, but noooooooo! Let's trust the exorcists! They'll protect us… For the love of…" She walked over and shoved me out of the way. "Move." Her tone like ice, yet burning up at the same time. Her eyes were clouded with worry as she bent over Tasha and rolling her body over on its side.

"What are you-" I started, she held up a hand.

"It's so if she vomits while unconscious, she won't choke or drown on it." She stated, inspecting Tasha's wound. "We need some sort of bandage, and some form of pressure." She saw me staring at her, wide eyed. She sighed. "Yes. You can vomit, while unconscious. And choke on it and die. Got it?"

Lavi walked over, observing the situation, and maybe a little annoyed at Sarah's constant panic that hadn't ceased. He grabbed her wrist. "Hey, if you want to help your friend, maybe you should be thinking of a way to help her, okay?" He said calmly. She stopped flailing and looked at his single green eye, a light blush dusting her cheeks. He obviously noticed and leaned down to whisper something that was _supposed_ to sound seductive. "Well, if you wanted to hold my hand… all you had to do is ask," he winked. And then she did something I don't think I've ever seen a girl do before.

She _slapped_ him.

Not hard, but not light either. Just hard enough to startle him, and have him drop his hand. He raised his hand to his cheek. "Oww…." He made a sniffly face.

"HOW CAN YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHEN MY FRIEND IS _DYING!_" She next to spat at him.

Lena Lee soon rushed over, with a few make shift bandages. She quickly wrapped her wound while relaying the plan to the four of us. Kanda was at the road trying to find a vehicle, and if one drove ast, he would try to flag it down and see if we could get a ride. The main objective at the moment was to get the three of them to a hospital as soon as possible. Sarah had a few wounds, Ellie, a few scratches, but Tasha needed help. She was bleeding to death, literally!

I picked up her lifeless body and hoisted her up on to my back, Ellie glaring at my back as we walked back to the road.

This really was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p><strong>HOLY CRAP! RUSH DELIVERY!<strong>

**Good? Bad? I'd like to know :P**

**And extreme foreshadowing WIN! XD**

**Review?**


	8. Chapter 8 Waking up

**HOLY CRAP! I'm amazing. I am rolling out these chapters like crazay x) Bwahahaahaaaa :D Also.**

**Ignore. All. Mentions. Of. How. Awesome. Elephant whatever the numbers are. Is. They are lies, for the girl typed that crap up while I was in the bathroom or something :P so shun it.**

**And I realize how uncannon this can get. But I frankly don't care, so if anyone wants to bring that up, they can shove it :D**

**AHhahaha. JK. I'm nice. I want it to be as cannon as my crazy storyline is going to allow. Don't y'all just LOVE me? :P**

**Yua: anyways….**

**Allen: dawnstaryua does NOT own us because well….. That'd be scary.**

**Yua: because you don't enjoy me at all ;)**

**Allen: O_O I cannot believe you just brought that up.**

**Lavi: Soooo you're not denying it? XD**

* * *

><p><em>The room was dark, and it smelled. And cold, it was so cold. The small, thin cloth that served as a blanket and the thin material that was my dress barely kept me warm during the night. There was a single window in the room, high up and off the ground, and very small. With metal bars across it to prevent escape.<em>

_This was a jail._

_I was locked up. _

_I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all. The floor was cold and dirty. There wasn't anything soft for me to lie down on, just floor. And I __hated__ my 'visitors'. The twins, they were the worst. And they weren't even twins! One had long blonde hair with a weird antennae that had a weird orb at the end on it, and the other wore heavy makeup that made him look goth. The second said one was actually kinda attractive, but they scared the life outta me._

_I wanna go home. I wanna see mom. And Nah-noo. And Zafhair. I wanted my family. But they were dead. That wish would never come true. _

_But the twins, they came every day, singing that disturbing song every time. So man timed that I could sing it along with them:_

'_Yurikago ga hitotsu atta.  
>Yurikago ni hitotsu ga atta.<br>Hitotsu wa futatsu ni natta.  
>Yurikago wa hitotsu kiri ni magirete.<br>Hoshi hitotsu haka ba de yurete.  
>Kiete kuyo!'<em>

_Yeah, I knew it that well. It was worse when they decided to shoot their guns at me. That's what really scared me. Those guns. Anything could happen with them._

_It was okay when Mr. Mikk came by though. He showed me those cool butterfly things he always has with them. He told me they were dangerous, but that I shouldn't worry, he wouldn't let them hurt me. They were really pretty, dancing in the small rays of sunshine that fell into the room like gold tips around clouds during sunset._

_Mr. Mikk was nice. I liked him a lot. I think he kinda didn't like me though. He always had this one look on his face when he talked to me. Then again, I was…. I don't know how old. Maybe six…_

…

_I really liked it when Rhode-tama stopped by though._

_She brought picture books sometimes, and I had kinda forgotten how to read, so she would sit with me and tell me stories and show me the pictures, my head leaning against her arm. She gave me a plush doll once, too. It had little hair that looked like yarn, and one of the eyes was falling out. It wasn't the prettiest doll. But it was mine. And when the twins really scared me, or when it seemed like Mr. Mikk was mad at me, or when I thought about mommy, I'd lie on the floor and cry to the doll quietly. One time I asked Rhode-tama how long I had been there._

"_Rhode-tama?" I asked, my big ruby eyes brimming with curiosity and a smidge of pain._

"_Hm?"_

"_How…. How long have I been down in this room?" My voice got caught in my throat and I choked on them, tears coming to my eyes._

_She looked down sadly, "A long time Tasha." She said. "A long time. And you'll be staying a lot longer too." She left the picture books that night. I liked looking at the pictures, they were nice. Sometimes I'd make up a story to go with the pictures. Some were nice, others just crazy._

_But the next day something happened. There was a loud BOOM! And there was a lot of smoke in the hall in front of the room. The door nearly got blown off its hinges as I was thrown back against the wall. I started coughing, waving my hand in front of my face to clear the dust, and when the smoked cleared, I don't think I had ever been so happy._

_It was Nah-Noo!_

_I ran to Nah-Noo and pressed my face to his thigh, me being the small child that I was at the time._

"_Nah-Noo! Y-You're alive!" I hiccuped. He slipped his hands under my arms and picked me up._

"_That's right squirt! And we're getting you outta here!" He then threw me over his shoulder and turned on his heel, his arm placed firmly on my back._

_Nah-Noo wasn't my brother or anything. It felt like it, but he wasn't. He was maybe five or seven years older than me, and he was my papa's favorite servant. He even once joked about having him marry one of his daughters. I once wished that that could be me._

_But anyways, Nah-Noo walked through the corridor, after leaving a hall, he' raise is hand and it would blow up in plumes of smoke. That was his power, he could make things sorta combust with his mind. It was on a deeper level than that, but all I really knew was that if he wanted to, he make this whole house be blown to smithereens. Bottom line: it was not a good idea to fight Nah-Noo when he was pissed._

_Oh, and Nah-Noo wasn't his real name. I just called him that because when I was little I couldn't say his name easily._

_His real name was Joe. And he was also a cat. And I loved him that much more for that._

* * *

><p>((Tasha POV))<p>

My head was pounding as I sat up, waking from my dream. What the hell was that! Joe... who's that? My hand rose to my forehead, my head reeling and pounding. I felt sick, like I would throw up. My left hand clutched my stomach, and it hit my how constricted my abdomen was. Not only that, but I was in a strictly white room. White curtains, white walls…. I looked down to see white sheets, and a white hospital gown.

Oh God! What did I do this time?

A rustle at side called me from my daze of thinking. Okay, so the room wasn't completely devoid of color.

There was a red mark, and a face that would make a fan girl squeal.

I brought the covers to my mouth and bit on them and gave a short squeak. Allen was soooo cute when he was sleeping. If only I had a camera….. I shook my head, making my headache worse. I leaned forward, clutching my head and taking deep breaths. Ugh. This sucked. Allen stirred in his sleep. I turned back to him. He was sitting in a chair next to the bed I was in; his head leaned back against the wall, and his arms were folded over him. He slowly leaned forward and blinked, looking at where used to be. His eyebrows rose not finding me lying down, and they drifted to my upright position, where I was looking at him over my shoulder.

I smirked and fell back on the bed. "Mornin'. Or evening. I don't know I just woke up." I grinned up at him. He stared at me, a little startled that I was talking to him or something. What, has the kid never seen a human before?

He looked at me for a few more minutes and finally said "Holy crap. You're awake."

"And I wouldn't be because…"

"You were out for three days." My eyes bugged. Three friggin' days? I was out that long? I swung my legs out of the covers and started to sit up. "No!" Allen placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back down. "Don't get up! You're in no condition to walk around like that!"

I gave him an annoyed look. "Yeah, uh-huh. Sure. Keep saying that." I tried to sit up, and was pushed back down.

*stare*

*sit up*

*push down*

… *stare….* "Really? You're doing this?"

"Eh-heh. Gomen….. But you need some rest. Didn't you check your side?" My side? What does hat have to do with this? I pushed Allen off of me and sat up, and tugged the hospital gown/ shirt up a few inches. I gasped and bended over to further examine the bandages wrapped around my abdomen. It had a small rustic red stain closer to my side. I gently placed my hand over it.

"Careful!" Allen said watching over me with his hands held up like he was surrendering or something. I looked at him with this 'Are you kidding me?' face. I winced as I lightly pressed on the wound. I remembered what happened, but it was blurry. I had innocence. Sarah had innocence. Uh…. I tried to protect Allen…. Oh. I tried to protect….

I mentally face palmed. Stupid stupid stupid! I looked up and was met by a very worried Allen.

"Dude, I'm fine." I slowly stood, then sat back down to prove my point. "I heal like nobody's business. I'm fine." It did hurt a little, but not much. Then I realized Ellie and Sarah weren;t there.

"Where are Sarah and Ellie?" I asked, my eyes downcast.

He perked up since it didn't sound like I wasn't too upset. "In another room. They woke up a few days ago. But it's…." He glanced at a clock on the bedside table, "A little after 11 P.M. Everyone's asleep."

I slumped. "Oh."

"They're fine! Don't worry!" He waved his hands frantically and I smiled.

"So wait… if everyone's asleep…" I leaned forward to look him directly in the eye. "Why are _you_ in _my_ room, eh?" I smirked devilishly. A light blush dusted his cheeks.

"It's not like that!" I giggled.

"I'm only teasing Allen, don't panic so much," I said quietly. I glanced around the room. "Where are we anyway?"

He shrugged. "The closest town we could find, there weren't many people, but there was a doctor who offered to help us…." His gaze fixed on mine. "We're stopping here for a few days to let your wounds heal."

"Ah." I said. It was all I could say. We're we staying for only my wounds? Wouldn't that mean I was setting them back? Great. He must have noticed my swing in mood because he sat down on the bed next to me and slinked his arms over my shoulders.

"Hey, it's okay, don't worry about it." He smiled. No picture can give that smile enough credit. That smile was epic. "Everything will be fine." I looked up at him and blushed. I looked away, hoping my hair would cover my face. My heart was at the races, beating faster than any drummer in a band, and pounding so loud that I'm pretty sure he could hear it. I had never actually been this close to a guy before except as a joke or it was a close friend. This was weird for me. And it did not help that is was Allen.

Okay. So here's the thing. Sarah and I have this ultimate joke. A lot of jokes, but we think it's one is pretty great. If the D. Gray-Man crew was real, and we me them, I'd be dating Allen because we're both kinda small, Sarah would have Lavi because she LOVES red heads. And somehow we'd get Ellie hooked up with Kanda, because it was Kanda and Ellie. That's hilarious. So having Allen so close to me…. Made me look around the room in a panic looking for a distraction.

I saw a window and leaped up. He was a little startled at my sudden movement. I darted to the window, and I was welcomed by what I loved: fireflies and the stars.

~~~ ((Allen's POV))~~~

Tasha quickly stood and walked over to the window and pressed her face up against the glass, with a little difficulty getting over there, nonetheless. I sighed and walked over to the window and saw her eyes locked on the world just beyond the window panes, her face alit with joy and wonder.

"Whatcha looking at?" I had to ask. How could she be so worried one minute and then so…. Filled with wonder the next.

"The world." She answered simply. That was a pretty damn good answer really. But it left something to be desired. I sighed again, a little weary.

"Care to enlighten me on that statement, maybe?" I looked down at her, her eyes glued to what looked like something no one else could see through human eyes. I pressed my face to the glass and squinted, trying to see what she saw. Tasha shook her head and gave a short giggle.

"Um…. How should I say this…." She tilted her head back for a moment, putting some thought in her words for once. "Well… you see, I really loved to look at the night sky when I was little," her head leaned against the glass again, a cloudy kind of look came to her eyes, she was far away in her thoughts. "It was always so enchanting. These big orbs of light thousands upon millions, upon trillions of miles away. And the light that we see could be from a million years ago! How cool is that?" I wasn't very smart with astronomy, so I wasn't too informative on the stars, so I listened closely to everything she said. "But anyways, a few years ago… I realized, it's not just the stars in the sky that I love, it's the moon, the sparkling snow on the ground in the dead of winter, reflecting the stars above the snowflakes, the fire flies that dance on midsummer nights," Tasha's eyes sparkled when she spoke, totally lost in a world of a child. "The wind that makes the trees bend and sway and the leaves swirl. There's just something… almost… magical about it, y'know? At least that's how I feel." Her hands were pressed against the window. It was obvious that she would be running in that cool late summer night air if she had the chance.

"You… You really like the night, don't you?" I asked, my eyes locked on her oblivious ones. They were so…. Pretty. Almost stunning. She jumped a little, shaken from her thoughts.

"Nah, not just the night. Nature in general. It's…. amazing." Her eyes seemed to glimmer with some strange form of hope and love for what she was talking about. I looked down at my left hand. Yeah, nature's just grand. She must have been watching me because she lightly put her hand over my upturned left hand. "Stupid sometimes maybe, but amazing all the same."

"Huh?" I said a little confused. She was looking down at her hand covering mine as she pulled it away.

"You really don't know how I wish it was just a deformed hand my brother had," she mumbled. I wanted so badly to ask her what she meant by that. And having a hand like this wasn't as easy as anyone could ever think it could be. My parents abandoned me because of it, I killed my adoptive father's akuma with it, and many more akuma at that. I had done a lot of things with that hand, not all of them are anything to be proud of. I had always had to hide that hand more than any part of my body. But looking at Tasha's eyes now, they looked vacant, sad.

Lonely. Like not even Ellie and Sarah knew about it.

"I… I'm going to go lie back down." She said suddenly, bringing me back from my thoughts.

"You okay? You should at least get some food…"

"Nah, it's okay, thanks for he concern though." She was already half way to the bed.

"H-hey!" I held out a hand to stop her from going much further, taking hold of her shoulder, suddenly a light pink on both our cheeks. "Um…do you want me to tell Ellie and Sarah if you're not up when they get up?" That wasn't why I had stopped her. I guess I just wanted to make sure she was okay.

She looked at me with eyes that were almost as lifeless as her voice when she answered. "Sure. Thanks." She yawned. I really am kinda tired, I'm going to bed."

"Okay, I'll head out." I made my way to the door as she climbed into bed when she shot back up, in a little pain and gave a yelp. "What is it?" I said, turning to face her, my hand on the doorknob.  
>"Do you know where my jacket is? There's something important in one of the pockets…" Oh, so that was it. I smiled.<p>

"Maybe, your clothes were in pretty bad shape after the fight…. It's in the pocket of the jacket, right?" I asked. She nodded. "Then what am I exactly looking for?"

She pursed her lips for a moment into a straight line before speaking. "It's a pocket watch."

"A…. Pocket watch?" Why would she need….

She nodded. "Yep. A pocket watch. It's very important to me."

Oh. That makes sense. "Yeah, I can get it, don't worry." I smiled at her reassuringly. She smiled back, her eyes drooping from fatigue.

''Kay, thanks." She leaned back in bed and twisted to her side under the blankets. "Good night Allen."

I turned the lights off and closed the door, starting to walk away.

"And thank you."

_The next morning…_

I sat watching the news flash across the screen. Just the weather at the moment. I wasn't kidding when I said I heal fast. I had gotten up and walked around the whole building, even did a few cart wheels at one point. Ellie had gotten up a bit ago, so now we sat in the waiting room, waiting for nothing, watching the news. I was wearing some extra clothes the hospital had loaned me for now. My clothes were too blood stained to even try washing. Plus a giant rip in a t-shirt is going to raise some eyebrows. I was wearing a scratchy long sleeved shirt, and some sweatpants. The bandage on my head was off, finally, but I still need it around the gash, simply because for some reason it would randomly bleed. Ellie was just in some pajama pants and a T-shirt. We sat diagnolly towards the TV hung up on the wall. I was drifting in my own thoughts when Ellie lunged forward in her chair.

"Tasha! Swiss bovine Tasha!" She shook my shoulder to wake me from my thoughts. "Look at the screen!" She placed her hands over my ears and directed my gaze to the screen.

I deadpanned at her. "So my head _can't_ move on its own now?"

"SHhhh!" My eyes fixed on the screen. A young blonde woman was going on about something or other when I saw the small box that usually holds a video or something related to the story. There was a clip of what happened in New York playing. My jaw dropped. How did that happen?

"…. No survivors have been found, but we do believe there might be some after an attack of these balloon like creatures."

The screen went to a middle-aged man with graying hair and a baseball cap talking into a microphone. The little bar under the screen read "Eye witness" His name wasn't disclosed for some reason… "They came out of the car, and one with white hair's arm just completely transformed into a claw like thing…."

It went back to the news caster. "There are a total of 7 youths in the group. Here are some of the eye witness's descriptions and an artist's pictures of the group." The screen flashed to show sketches of us. It honestly scared the crap out of me. They didn't look exactly look like us, but were pretty close. Holy crap. "If you have information on where these children are," I twitched. "Please call the following number…."

After that I wasn't paying attention. I looked to Ellie, our eyes meeting, the look in our eyes mirroring each other.

We were in some deep trouble.

Lavi walked into the room. "Hey guys!" he put on his silly grin and sat down between us, Ellie immediately shooting him a death glare. He ignored it and turned to me. "I see someone woke up from one long beauty sleep."

"Pfft." I rolled my eyes and smirked. "What? You miss me or something?"

He laughed and asked if I was alright. I was, and I relayed to him what we had seen on the TV.

"Well…. That's interesting. Aren't there akuma in this time?" I shook my head. "Huh. Strange…." Making a mental note, he stood up. "I'm going to get the others up. Do you think we'll be able to leave the hospital soon."

"Yep!" I ignored Ellie's eyes burning a hole in the back of my skull. "I might need afew more days of rest but then we can go!" I finished with a smile.

"Cool. Then we can keep moving." He walked toward the hall and gave a short have before he disappeared. I slowly turned to face Ellie.

"Eh-heh, I guess we're all okay…." I sweatdropped, rubbing the back of my neck. "So anyways…"

"Why do you trust them?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Eh?"

"Better yet, _how_ could you trust them? This is ridiculous Tasha! How can we possibly believe they're the good guys? How can we even know if they're real enough to be good? How can…" I grip her shoulders.

"Ellie. Look at me." Her eyes fixated on my face. "Ellie, have I ever tried to leave you behind?"

She looked down, and I mentally smacked myself. I had forgotten a very vital detail. Ellie, was woried that she was losing Sarah and I because of anime. She felt she was left out. But we loved her, more than any of the anime conventions put in one. I once told her how much I love her by saying that my fngirlisms can't even compare from the love I had for her. But I knew sometimes she still worried. But she erased those doubts when he said "No…"  
>I breathed a sigh of relief. "And would we ever leave you?"<p>

"Nope."

"Then what is there to worry about?" I grinned. She continued to look down and mumbled something. "Huh?" I asked.

"Aren't you two going to leave me behind anyways?" She practically shouted. I stared back at her my eyes wide. "You two... you're like _them_. Now you're going to leave me and never come back and forget all about me and…" I pulled her into a hug.

"You baka…" I could tell from the growing dampness on my right shoulder and the way she hugged me back that she was crying. "We are never leaving you behind. If you can't use innocence…. We'll make you a finder. Or part of the science department! Komui is just as lazy as me! It'll be like trying to make me do work!" I joked, quickly turning serious again when she didn't laugh. "Look," I held her out at arm's length and did my best to be the big sister I had been to these two. "No matter what happens, I will not leave you behind. You're my _ohana_."

"Eh?" I slapped myself in my mind again. She didn't like ANY animation except Shrek, so she wouldn't get this.

"Ohana means family, family means nobody is left behind." I explained, wearing a smile. The smile wasn't one you wear when you're happy. It was more of a painful smile, like when you're trying to comfort someone when you want to break down beside them.

"Oh. Okay…" She hugged me again, and she was silent again. We sat back down for a minute when Lavi and Kanda walked into the room.

"What a wonderful show of sisterly love!" Lavi laughed, a giant grin on his face. Kanda stayed silent.

"Oh be quiet Lavi…." Allen said walking in Sarah and Lena Lee right behind him.

"Morning…" Lena Lee yawned, still a little drowsy. Sarah bounced in and hugged me.

"Glad to see you're up!" She said coming behind me. "I seriously was having another panic attack…"

Allen cut her off before she could finish. "I found where pocket watch!" He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to me, along with something else. "It's really pretty, and I, uh, found a wallet."

I forgot how I grabbed my mom's wallet before we left. I started scratching my arms due to the fact that the sleeves made me really itchy. Actually….. I looked at Ellie and Sarah. We all could use some new clothes. And it'd be kinda weird for the exorcists to go walking around in identical outfits.

That's it. It's settled.

"I think…" I said, fingering a dollar bill in the wallet. "I think it's time we go shopping."

* * *

><p><strong>Bwahahahaaaa! OMG I CAN'T WAIT TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER! I've been wanting to write it forever! It'll be fun I promise. And maybe a bit crack-like. Ah well. It's still will be tons of fun! And yes, I totally just brought Lilo and Stitch in there. I win :) But I don't own it. :(<strong>

**Review?**


	9. Chapter 9 shopping Spree

**Never ever expect such a quick update ever again. Just don't. It won't happen ever again. I swear. Also, am I making Tasha a mary-sue? I think I might be, but I'm the author, so I can either be paranoid about it or totally ignorant to it. Soo…. Can you tell me if she is? -_- Cuz… that would be wonderful if I'm not! So…. I know this is off topic, but all I can listen to now a days are songs from "Rent the musical". Epic show, you all should listen to the music. And a LOT of Secondhand Serenade and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Love those songs. :D Soooo anyways!**

**Lena Lee: Yua does not own D. Gray-Man! **

**Yua: ….. by the way… am I the only one who's noticed that on some disclaimers… it just says "I don't own –man"? seriously?**

* * *

><p>"Why in hell are we doing this again?" Kanda had to ask it. I rolled my eyes, tired of having to explain for the unteenth time.<p>

"Because Kanda…." I was getting a little annoyed as we walked around a vacant mall, an angry vein appearing on my head. "We really can't have you four in matching costumes. It looks too suspicious."

"And…." Sarah added. "We really do need new clothes. It's hard to fit in jeans…. Don't allow a whole lot of flexibility… and we're being looked for remember? We don't need people to recognize us."

"Right, we get that…" Allen said. "But… do we really all have to go together?"

"We could split up." Lena Lee suggested. She turned to Lavi, Kanda, and Allen. "You three go try to find some normal clothes, and I'll go with the other three girls. How's that?"

Sarah gave her signature two thumbs up and smile and Ellie gave a grunt that said 'oh whatever, fine.' I nodded as Allen and Lavi just said "sure." Kanda just che'd again. We decided to meet at 2 P.M. in the food court.

The mall was…. Average, if you could call it that. The walls were white and the roof was high above our heads, mainly cut away in windows to let in the natural light from the sun, which wasn't a lot, because the day was set for rain and the sky was as gray as pencil lead. There were scattered potted plants and trashcans, which was the only said thing for decoration. Ads for gift rewards and maps of the mall littered each fork in the road of the halls. The multiplex of many stores rarely had any costumers, one or two here, maybe three there. It was quiet, without the normal chatter that is heard within a mall, but enough people that you always had another human being in sight. It worked enough for me. I didn't like crowds. I'm claustrophobic; I can't breathe if I'm in a tight space, even if the walls surrounding me are purely human bodies. That's just worse. It's like their watching you and if you bump into one person who might get two apologies, one from you and another from them, or and endless string of cussing about how you're a 'disrespecting-worthless-skanky-piece of shit'. Crowds and small spaces are a no-n I just can't. So it worked for me that there weren't a whole lot of around.

"So…" Lena Lee nervously started, "Where are we headed?" I exchanged looks with Sarah and Ellie. Frankly I don't give a damn about what I wear, so I didn't know many stores to check out. I shrugged and walked a little ahead, glancing over my shoulder as I talked.

"I don't have a clue; this is more Ellie's department…" Ellie turned to me with a look that looked like it belonged to a kitten and she nodded vigorously. "…. So we're kind of at her mercy." She then raised her fists in a victory position, her head looking toward the ceiling and mouthed 'YES!'

"Subtle, Ellie. Subtle." Sarah deadpanned. Ellie shrugged and Lena Lee sweatdropped. "Just please don't dress us up like clowns…."

"I won't. I promise!" She grinned sweetly, her palms pressed together in front of her face, as if she was praying, (Or performing alchemy if we want to get technical…. ;)). She winked. "If anything, I'll repair Tasha's fashion sense."

"Hey! I'm fashionable… enough!" I then looked down at my outfit along with the three of them in the middle of the near vacant mall. I was wearing dentist blue pants and a scratchy homemade sweater. The doctor who fixed me up ran the hospital; well it was more of a clinic, with his wife, who had given this…. Ensemble to me so I could stay warm. "Just…. Not right at this time…"

"Or any other time chica." Sarah snorted. "Tasha, you are as blind as a bat when it comes to fashion."

"More blind than Ellie?" I shot back.

"I can see just fine, thank you!"

"How 'bout we go find clothes! Like we came here for!" Sarah cut in before we started to get really into it, making Lena Lee sigh with relief. Ellie and I can go for hours of meaningless arguments.

Like, literally _hour_s_. _About cucumbers. And…. A lot of things.

Never mind, forget you ever heard that.

So walking around a vacant mall with no one in town has its conveniences. For one thing, every store was open. The window of every store had a sign that said "Take what you want" in scrawling lettering. Plus, there were next to no store owners, and if there were any in the stores, they didn't ask for much money. They were all worried about getting their sorry butts out of town before more "balloon creatures" came by. And if they didn't want money, they handed anything they could to us. Don't ask me why, they were scared half out of their wits from Armageddon coming early or something like that. So… I didn't have to spend much money, and I was getting dragged around so much, I don't remember everything that happened. It was all more of a blur.

So eventually, it was just Sarah and me were walking around, Ellie said she wanted to find some hair accessories for Lena Lee. I was a little worried about what she might say or do to Lena Lee if we weren't nearby, so Sarah said we should go look around more. So here we are, walking around a next to empty mall, when we go by some sort of… dance store, I think. I stop and press my face to the window, remembering the times I spent in costumes just like the ones inside the store. Swirling pinks and blues and purples, and flowing skirts and sleeves, with the scrape of the blade across the ice. I shook my head. Not going back there. I never can. Not now anyways… Sarah presses her face to the window as well, when she gets an elated and shocked look on her face, and she gasps.

"…. Sarah?" I ask as she turns and walks into the store, her hand extended out from her back in a 'one

moment,' gesture. I cocked my head to the side, my mouth open in confusion. I turned and looked back through the window. She had grabbed every color tutu that was on a rack in the store. _Every_ color. Neon pink, lime green, electric blue, dark purple, neon green, even black and purple. Yellow, orange, brown too, you name it, she had grabbed it. I sat there, staring. Was she trying to make me go bankrupt!

She walked straight towards the counter, and it was then that I realized that this was more of a punk store. Like maybe….. Hot Topic?

Okay. So I have issues. I saw something shiny and I thought about figure skating. Big whoop.

The clerk had a ton of piercings, nose rings, a few eye brow piercings, and a gazillion earrings. I'm pretty sure she even had her tongue pierced. "Yeah… I'd like all of these please!" Sarah said cheerily, earning an odd look from the cashier. She raised an eyebrow and clicked her tongue before running every single tutu over the scanner. She put the pieces of frills into a few bags in a way that said "Shift's almost over, just deal with the weirdos and get it over with." The cashier finally thrust the bag into an oblivious Sarah's face. Sarah handed a few bucks and change, which the sales girl refused.

Sarah nodded her head, her head and said her thanks and was about to walk away when the cashier asked her something I was wondering as well. "Why so many tutus anyways?" She asked in a smart ass tone.

Sarah just tilted her head a little bit, smiled and spazzed a little as she said it: "Because: a tutu for every day of the week!" she hen skipped out of the store back to me, leaving a wigging out sales clerk and joining a friend who was somewhat used to this.

"Sarah…?"

"Yeah Tasha?" She said, almost as if she were hyper on sugar stix.

"…. Never mind." I said turning around. "Can I get disconnected sleeves?"

"That would be cool!" She said, skipping beside me. She pulled out an electric blue tutu and pulled it on over her head while I rolled my eyes and laughed, watching her. Sarah wasn't a bucket full of sunshine. She was a bottomless ocean of sunshine. So was Ellie, when she wasn't being all….. un-anime like.

We just continued to walk around looking for the type of sleeves I was looking for. Y'know, they're the kind you usually only see in a cartoon, and the come about half way down your upper arm. Kind of like arm warmers, except I want them to be sleeves that wide openings near the wrists. I don't know why, I just always thought they looked cool. And I'm ashamed to say it, but was the last thing on my list of things to get, which consisted sadly of a skirt.

I have a perfectly reasonable explanation for this. I will get to that later. I hate skirts. I have reasons. Promise.

We were walking down one of the main ways when low and behold who do we see?

Lavi and Allen. Of course.

Allen gave a small wave to us across the way, which I shakily wave back to. Why am I so nervous? I never get nervous. Never. So why now? I haven't gotten nervous since the dance to close out eighth grade. The guy didn't exactly reject me, but…. The message was clear: I don't like you. I only got nervous whenI was around a "significant other." I didn't like Allen, so why am I so shaky?

Lavi waved his hand up, "Hey guys! We'll see you at the food court right?" I nodded and continued walking, trying to ignore Allen's sparkling, kind gray eyes. _'Did I really just say that? Oh God. Please no. I am not falling for this guy. I just met him!'_ I walked forward still. Sarah had other plans though. She ran across the way over to Lavi, leaving me by myself for the second time that day.

"Lavi! Look! I'm a ballerina!" She said giddily as she grabbed his hand and twirled under it. I stared at her, mouth agape. Um… what just happened? Lavi looked at me as if I had given her drugs or something. I shook my head, saying I hadn't. She continued to spin around and around until she finally said in between a few giggles, "Oh gosh. I'm dizzyyyyyyyyy…." She lost her balance and fell toward Lavi, who caught her as she half crashed, half landed on top of him.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked a little worriedly. He would get used to it. _Eventually. _ She looked at up at him, since he caught her like they were dancing together and he was dipping Sarah back when she began to stammer like crazy.

"Uh, YEAH! I'm… I'm fine! I'm great! Just great! And uh, you know, stuff and.. heh-heh, BYE!" She hopped out of his grasp and bounded back to me, grabbed my hand and ran! Smooth Sarah. Smoooooooooth…..

"Um… See you guys later!" I said being dragged away by a frantic Sarah over my shoulder. Once we were a safe ways away, I turned to her, my eyebrows raised. "What in the world was that?" She grabbed my shoulders and started to shake me like if I was a pop machine that didn't give her the correct change.

"That was the fluffiest thing ever! Even fluffier than my tutu!" She said loudly, earning a few strange looks from some passing shoppers. I reached up while being shaken and pulled her arms down, an anger vein popping over my head.

"Sarah, calm your face. Just calm down." My blue eyes looked at her through slits. "Are you happy about it or not?" I muttered a few bad words as she thought for a moment.

"… YES!" Sparkles almost exploded off her body as her eyes grew sparkly-shiny and anime like as she clasped her hands together. "That was fan girl bliss! Ah~ Lavi is soooo cute."

"The word you're looking for is hot. But we probably shouldn't bring it up anymore…" I said, pinching the space between my eyes again, thinking. "We really don't want them to think we're stalkers…"

"Sarah! Tasha!" We both turned to see Ellie and Lena Lee running toward us. "What'd you guys get?" Ellie asked, spotting the bags that we had been carrying with us.

"Hmmm… not much." I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "Did you get anything normal for Lena Lee?"

"I may need some help with that…" Ellie said looking to the side.

"You didn't want to help her did you?" Sarah said shaking her head. "Poor Lena Lee," Sarah hugged her, "So nice but somebody just has to be hateful…"

"Urk." Lena Lee was obviously weirded out.

"Sarah, maybe you should give Lena Lee some personal space…." Sarah dropped her arm and stood beside me. "What about you Ellie?" She held up a finger to signal 'one moment' as she shuffled through one of the store bags. She pulled out an…..

Well….. She did have a slight obsession with anything orange….

She had an orange hoodie, some jeans from Banana Republic, a cute white and gray button up shirt with cuff links, and….. and orange hair bow and a skirt that went down to her thighs. And it was orange.

Sarah looked like she was about to gag. Lena Lee looked at me, mentally sending the message "Why orange?" I slapped my forehead.

"Did you get anything that WASN'T orange?"

"Yeah! But I wanted to show you guys this first! Isn't it great? Now he'll be with us whi-" Sarah put her hand over her mouth.

"Let's not talk about him, shall we?" An icy chill dripped from her voice. She did not like the boy Ellie was referring to. And who was he? Jakk. My childhood friend.

And apparently the love of Ellie's life. That she was paranoid about never having. Sarah, however, could not stand him. And I just wished Ellie would for once just say his name instead of calling him orange.

So this is why she loved orange.

I pulled out my pocket watch and looked at the time. "Hey, we need to go meet the guys in the food court," I said, looking up from the time-teller in my hand. Sarah gave me a look.

"What's the rush Tasha? Do you want to see them that badly?" She purred, a kitten mouth on her face as she teased me. A blush dusted my cheeks.

"What are you talking about?" I hastily shot back, barely hiding the quaking in my voice. "Says the girl who tried to dance with Lavi!"

"Be quiet Tash- OOO!" A fast blast of light came from above. "Lightning! Must be a storm!" I yipped as thunder trembled slightly through the foundation of the mall, making me grab Lena Lee's arm in fright.

She looked at me with a worried look, Sarah and Ellie both turning to look at me. "Uhm… Tasha? You okay?" My eyes had been squeezed shut. I quivered, grasping her arm for dear life when she poked the part of my hair. "Tasha? Are you okay?" I opened my own blue eyes to see purple ones staring back into mine. I gave a little nod and let go of her arm.

"Um…. Sorry. I'm, uh, afraid of thunder." I said, looking down, almost ashamed. Ellie and Sarah rolled their eyes. Lena Lee gave me a slightly worried and perplexed look. "Uh… don't ask. It's nothing to be scared of, I know, but… I still am afraid." I said, as if I was being judged.

Lena Lee smiled. "Well there's nothing wrong with that, is there?" she said trying to comfort me.

"Is it? Because everyone tells me it's stupid." I sighed, looking down. A lot of people teased me for it. And I knew it was a stupid fear, but it got to me anyways. I don't know why, but thunder just scares the crap out of me.

"It's okay, really." She said patting my head. "Everyone gets scared, and for different reasons, it's nothing to be ashamed about." I thought about that. Yeah, it really was okay. Everyone _does_ get scared every once in while. I looked up to meet her eyes.

"Thanks Lena Lee." I smiled.

"No problem. Now let's go to the food court." She smiled, taking my hand and leading me away from the subject at hand.

Lena Lee was nice. I smiled and felt like laughing, but I grabbed Sarah's hand, who in turn grabbed Ellie's, and we made our way to the food court.

~~~~~TRANSITION~~~~~~

My eyes scanned the slim crowd for the girls. Where were they? Out of one of the patches of crowd came Kanda, who made his way over to Lavi and I, who had already sat down at a table.

"Hey Yuu~," Lavi started. "Find anything good? Like hair accessories or anything?" He smirked. Kanda shot him a glare as an angry vein popped over his head, followed by three more. Lavi took that as a 'no,' but continued to pester him anyways. "But Yuuuuuuu…" he whined, "You'd look so pretty with ribbons in your hair! Or some sparkly clips! Or…." Kanda's glare intensified and Lavi shut up. I sighed. It almost seemed like we were back at the Order, sitting in the cafeteria, joking and messing around after a long, hard mission.

I miss the order. A lot.

I sighed. Kanda was not in a good mood, because he twitched and practically spat, "What's wrong with you Moyashi?"

"Maybe your _face_ Bakanda!" I snapped back. It wasn't that I was angry, I just wasn't in the best mood. What was with this century and short sleeves! It drove me insane. I know Tasha said to get something to look normal, but how can my arm ever look normal? I went back to scanning the halls when I saw the girls walking, almost skipping, towards us. Well, they were certainly chipper. Sarah was wearing th tut she had earlier with black leggings and a dark blue shirt, Ellie had an orange bow in her hair

"Hi~!" Sarah said in her happy little voice. "What's up guys?"

"Not much," Lvai stretched his arms and yawned. "Just a bit tired."

"That happens when you spend a lot of time at the mall," Tasha said, turning to him. "Did you guys find anything?"

Kanda didn't have any bags with him, and Lavi and I just couldn't find anything. Ellie sighed. "Evidently not," She said, clearly annoyed.

"Well okay then Ellie, you have a smart alec competition with yourself and we'll try to actually get them some decent clothes," Tasha stuck her tongue out at Ellie.

"Guys, we don't need to fight do we?" Sarah waved her hands, stepping between them, their glares daring the other to back down. They didn't seem to hear her, so she waved a bit more frantically, her hair getting a little frazzled as she got a few depression lines. "Guys? Guys! Seriously! We don't need to fight… let's think about rainbows and unicorns and crayons and… and…." As she talked the two of them softened and the both sighed blatantly and backed off. Both muttered a "Fine," and turned their backs to each other. Sarah as not pleased. "No. Hug and make up. Now." I turned to Lavi and gave him a weirded-out look, which he mirrored.

They are so weird.

My stomach growled, so I somewhat interrupted. "Um…. Excuse me," I cut in, the four girls turning to me. I looked down shyly. "Can we get some food?"

~~~~MORE TRANSITIONING!~~~~~~

"So you guys didn't find _any _clothes?" I exclaimed.

Allen looked down and kicked the ground as our group walked. Lavi whistled as if he wasn't listening, and Kanda just ignored me. I facepalmed. "Fine. We'll get you clothes."

"Why do you need any in the first place?" Lavi asked.

"Because! Lavi, it looks weird when you all have matching outfits! You look a traveling circus or something." Sarah said in her giddy tone, skipping alongside Lena Lee and Ellie. "It looks weird," she concluded.

"Oh. But we look good though, don't we?" Lavi said, then looked at Allen and Kanda beside him. 'Well, at least I do." He smirked.

"What are you trying to say Lavi!" Allen exclaimed. I giggled and nearly squealed.

"Allen, you're adorable! Lavi's just jealous!" I blurted out, causing Allen to blush. And causing my face to erupt with heat. "Uh… I mean, um, that, uuuuuhhhh….. Well, uh, you see…" My mind was drawing a blank.

"You really are quite cute, Allen-kun." Lena Lee stepped in to my rescue. I mentally sighed with relief. His blushed deepened, causing Sarah to fangirl squeal and Ellie to roll her eyes.

"Th-thank you. Both of you," he blushed unbearably, thus making me blush even more.

"N-no problem." Ooooohhhh shiiiiiiiiit. This is not good. Lavi did a cat call.

"Well, this is a wonderful development! When can we expect a wedding?" Lavi said, clapping his hands together in a joyful manner. Allen kicked his shin. Lavi whimpered and turned to Sarah for sympathy, crying crocodile tears. She rolled her eyes and patted Lavi's head, which was an odd thing to watch, granted the fact that Sarah was smaller than I am, and considerably smaller than Lavi. I quickly changed the subject and randomly grabbed the sleeve of whomever was closest to me and pulled the to the entrance of a store.

"Let's just get this over with, c'mon." To my dismay, I did not realize that I had grabbed Kanda's sleeve. He swatted my hand away and stormed in. I groaned. This was going to take a while.

~~~~~Last transition, I swear~~~~~

"No."

"But …" I whined, holding up the dark blue hoodie. "Please?"

"I said 'no,' Kogara[1]." My face paled. He said what now?

"You… said… WHAT NO-" Ellie's hand slammed over my mouth as I started to flail, about to murder him. How dare that bastard call me small!

Lavi nervously snatched the hoodie from my hands that were waving around wildly, and shoved into Kanda's chest, as if to command no further protests. "Go on Yuu-tan~. At least it won't make you look like a girl!" Kanda reluctantly took the hoodie and went into a changing room, as I continuously struggled against Ellie. Allen, Lavi, and Lena Lee stared at us. Sarah just waved her hand in a "it's no big deal" kind of way.

"Don't worry, she'll calm down. Eventually." She then handed Lavi and Allen small bundles of clothes and pointed towards the row of dressing rooms that Kanda had just walked towards. "Now go. Change into the marvelous clothes of the future." She said dramatically. I sighed and finally managed to shove Ellie off.

"Really Tasha, you're so predictable." She said as I slumped.

"Ow. My pride." I glared at her through strands of my blonde hair. I have this really weird theory. Small people have about twice as much pride as a normal person does, especially one like me. I mean, look at me, I'm 4'11'' with blonde hair and blue eyes! I look like a friggin' doll! People always think I'm so precious and innocent.

And then they meet me, and that image is shattered for all time.

Ellie patted my head. "You'll get over it. Eventually." She turned to Lena Lee, "Now let's find something for you." She said smiling. She was smiling. I could only hope it was a real smile.

We ended up getting Lena Lee a purple skirt that had a black belt and had a plaid pattern, a cute ruffle top with black straps, and a dark blue zip-up hoodie. "Uh… I'm not so sure about this." She exclaimed, looking at herself in a mirror after trying it on. I stood behind her and placed my hands on her shoulders.

"Lena Lee, Look in the mirror for me, 'kay?" She gave me a confused look but did so. "Now what do you see?"

"…."

"Well?"

"I don't know." She sighed, casting a look to the side.

"Really? 'Cause, 'cause, 'cause," Sarah cut in, popping up on her other side, me slinging my arm over her shoulder, (which again, was hard, considering my… uh, 'condition') and let Sarah and her innocent look on it finish what I was going to say. "You look really pretty Lena Lee-chan~" She grinned.

We heard whistle from behind us. "Daaaaaaaamn Lena Lee. You look good!" Lavi strolled out of a changing room stall. Ellie smacked him upside the head, and he gave her a surprised face, his jaw dropping. He was about to say something when Kanda shouted outsomething from where he was changing.

"It's a damn good thing Komui's not around to hear that, baka usagi!" Kanda shouted from a stall.

Lavi shook his head, realizing how bad that would have been, and turned to Ellie. "Why did you slap me?" She stared up at him, a blatant look on her face.

"No profanity in the presence of Ellie." Sarah and I answered for her. "Lavi! You look awesome!" Sarah blurted out.

And he did. He had a green graphic tee and a zip-up jacket that had red, yellow, and black stripes horizontally decorating it. **((A/N Most awkward sentence, I've ever worded. Ever)) **He had on some Chuck Taylor's and….. "Sarah?"

"Hmm?"

"Are his…. Are they?"

Sarah got a frustrated look on her face, a look of disgust almost. "LAVI!" She marched right up to him and yanked his pants up. Lavi gave a cry of shock and maybe pain.

"The… hell?"

"NO SAGGING PANTS!" She batted the top of his head as he leaned forward. "Not while I'm around."

"Owwww…."

"Kanda. Out. Now. I want to see!" I squealed. "You too Allen-kun."

"B-but…" Allen shakily responded.

"Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase?" My eyes became sparkly as my hands clasped together. "I wanna seeeeeee!"

After a moment's hesitation, the door to the small changing room creaked open as Allen slowly stepped out, wearing a red t-shirt with a black graphic design that looked like splattered paint, a pair of black jeans, his boots that he usually wore, and a black zip up hoodie with a few gray stripes. He wore his gloves to cover his deformed his hand. I gawked and had to turn away, covering my nose.

"Tasha? Are you bleeding?" Lena Lee just had to notice.

"Um. I'll be fine, nothing to worry about." '_Just a nosebleed is all. So they actually do occur when THAT happens….'_ I shook my head. "C'mon Kanda. Pretty pleeeeease?"

"Yeah Yuu~ Let's see how you look!"

The door slammed open as Kanda burst out, his hand hovering over mugen, ready to attack. "I TOLD YOU NEVER TO CALL ME THAT BAKA USAGI!" His voice filled with rage, I jumped behind Allen. Sarah latched on to Lavi's arm in fright; even Ellie looked a little scared, just slightly cowering behind Lena Lee.

"Whoa! Kanda!" Sarah bursted out.

"What? What- OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!" I said catching on.

"What, what?" Lavi asked. I stayed silent, my dropping. Sarah was right, totally completely right.

Kanda was _hot._ Hot as hell.

The hoodie seemed to compliment his dark bluish hair, he had on faded jeans and I don't know how we swung this last one in there, but he was even wearing _converse_. _**Converse**_. This is Kanda we're talking about here.

And DAAAAAAAAAAAAAYUUUUUUUUUM did he look good.

"Kanda…. You look really good. Like, really, _really_ good." She said, her green orbs still staring at him, her jaw dropped.

And this…. Somehow made Lavi nervous.

"W-wait! I-I'm still better looking right?" His face flushed, arms flailing. Well, he was acting a little strange.

"No… Kanda looks really hot right now. Way better than you." She said still staring. Lavi pouted and looked down. I elbowed him and smirked, getting cheeky.

"Aaaaaaaaaayyyyyy Laviiiiiiii? What's the probleeeeeeeeeem? Don't like that Kanda's all of sudden all Sarah cares about? Huh? Huh?" I grinned, and he bopped me in the head, a small bump rising as he muttered "Shut it, will ya?..." I giggled again. I felt a tug on my sleeve as Sarah diverted her attention away from Kanda.

"Hey, hey hey Tasha!" She pleaded, "I have a favor to ask."

~~~*~~~SIDE BAR TIME~~~*~~

I stood in front of the hair salon, gawking. I could not believe she was doing this. I can't believe she's doing _this._ Her hair was so pretty before, so why would she…..

Dye it neon light blue. Only Sarah, only she would do it.

"But whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?" Ellie whined from inside the salon by her chair as some Barbie girl look alike snapped bubble gum as she worked on Sarah's short brown hair.

"Cuz we have the money and I will _never_ have this chance again," she replied, a huge grin on her face.

~~~*~~~SIDE BAR OUT~~~*~~~

"We should get going soon, the weather's still pretty bad," Allen said. He was right, dark clouds were still rolling in, the storm had only stopped for a short while; it would be back any second, and I did NOT want to stick around when that happened. I nodded. He smiled and patted me on the head, walking ahead of me. I'm a slow walker, so I quickened my pace.

We all made our way to the car we had been "borrowing", we had to apparently snag a new one after the high way incident. I'm glad; the last one smelled small kids with sticky fingers and bad milk. The one we have now is almost brand new, probably just bought by whoever used to own it. It's a pretty good one too, it's a deep blue and can hold all of us. We grab some food superfast at a nearby food mart outside the mall, Ellie claiming she'll make some sandwiches.

Good thing too, I've realized I have a huge appetite now. I scarfed down three entrees from three different restaurants. I once joked about having an appetite the size of Allen's, which wasn't exaggerating too much, but I don't think I had ever eaten that much before all at once.

Anyways, as we walk out to the car, I realize how unusually quiet Lena Lee is. Our little group has seemed to break down the walls that kept out ordinary conversations, but it was strange to see Lena Lee walking along as if she had something on her mind. I walked to her side, almost jogging to keep up as we dragged all of our bags to the car.

"Hey Lena Lee,' I say, catching her by surprise. "What's up?"

She stared in to space for a moment before asking. "Where do you guys live anyways."

I chuckled. So that's what she was worrying about. "We live in a place called Sunshine City. It's… okay."

"Sunshine City?" She laughs, "So is it like really happy there."

"Uh…" Sarah says, glancing at us. Her now blue hair floating lightly through the wind. "You can decide that for yourself."

* * *

><p><strong>That. Was. Ridiculous.<strong>

**I cannot believe I finally finished this. YAY!**

**So. Woo. More foreshadowing. I think.**

**I'm actually quite impressed with this one. It came out A LOT better than what I had planned.**

**AND a hell lot longer xP**

**PLEASE PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10 Home

**:D That last one took forever to write. As did this one.**

**Like legit, I had so many times where I sat in front of the computer for more than an hour and would be in complete failure mode because I had such bad writer's block, I actually did my chores.**

**Like, really BAD writer's block. To the point where cherry3456 was like "Ugh, get over it already and write!"**

**So. Anywho. Chappie 10. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY~!**

**Bak: dawnstaryua does not own D. Gray-man.**

**Dawnstaryua: ….. How the hell did you get in here?**

**Bak: Uhhhh… no reason….. *drops picture of Lena Lee***

**DSY: *grabs pic and runs* OH LENA LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**

**Long author's note is long. Any who. CHAPTER.**

* * *

><p><em>The hall was big and grand, just as usual, and lavishly decorated with colorful banners wrapped around columns and the arch ways. The day was bright and clear, just the opposite of my mood. Zahfair was being a baka. He said I couldn't play with him, and told me the only reason I was here was being cause I was the reincarnation of…. I forget the name. What does reincarnation mean? Either way I ran out of his room, and I was stomping through the halls, blindly charging without a care where I was going.<em>

"_Oof! Where are you headed, hime-chan?" A voice said above of me. I looked up as golden eyes specked with violet covered by strands of dark hair bored down into my red orbs._

"_N-Nah-Noo!" I squealed, a light blush brushing on my cheeks. Before I could say anything, I burst into tears, crying and blubbering about how Zahfair had told me that everyone was pretending to like me, and that it was all my fault there were barely any of us left. I just didn't understand, I was five for crying out loud! I was always kept in the dark. Anytime I would walk into the room, all of the adults would get really quiet, and I would hug my little dolly and ask what was wrong, and mommy would say it was nothing and that I should go back to my room. As I told him all of this, pretty much hiccupping by this point, his face went from his usual wonderful comforting smile, to being stormy and frustrated. He picked me up, holding me under my shoulders and drawn away from him so he could see my face._

"_Listen here okay," his Italian accent making a small appearance before disappearing again, "Zahfair is just… upset about something that happened a while ago. You don't need to worry-"_

"_What happened?" I asked, pulling my hands from my eyes to look at him. He was maybe 15, but his eyes held a fear of a child when I asked that, before it turned to a knowing look._

"_You'll know when you're older, little Miss Tasha." He said putting me back down. "Just forgive Zahfair for now okay, he's been through a lot, and he's just gotten back from… a trip." A trip was really was when he went out on a mission. I'm really not too sure what happened, but sometimes whoever went on a mission would come back bloody, and really hurt. Once, somebody didn't come back. Papa got really scared. And angry. Nah-noo shook me from my thoughts._

"_Hey, I think Jackline is making cookies. I bet if you ask nicely she'll give you one!" I perked up when he said that._

"_Thanks Nah-noo!" I said turning around and running into a pillar, Nah-noo threw back his head and laughed. I was knocked on my butt, and rubbed my fore head, sniffing just a little. Nah-noo may think that he got my mind off of the family problem but that was because I was a good actress._

_I knew._

_I knew I was an outcast._

_And for some reason, my family resented me._

…

I shook my head and realized I was sitting in the passenger seat. "Oh boy…." I turned to see who was driving, and was shocked to see Allen. "Allen?"

"Oh, hey Tasha!" he said cheerily. "Looks like you and I are the only two still awake."

"Huh?" I turned in my seat to see Lavi and Ellie just zonked out, and Kanda, Lena Lee, and Sarah leaning on each other in the back, evenly breathing. "Well, at least they've shut up," I say stretching my arms up and yawning. "So, how long have you been driving the car?"

"A few minutes actually," His eyes never left the road, and I could tell he was tense. It was pretty easy to see why. I turned to look out the window, and it was so dark that the night seemed like an endless vacuum, sucking all the light out of existence. The shadows on his face from street lights and passing cars made his body a silhouette that barely stood out from the darkness, and his hair was one of the only hints that there was a human next to me. "Where are we headed again?"

"My house," I tapped the GPS, "It looks like we'll get there around…." I leaned forward, trying to brush the sleep from my eyes and read the screen. "2:00 A.M. What time is it anyways?"

"Summer… time…" My head lashed around, my eyes going wide. Ellie snorted and shifted position. She was fast asleep. She wasn't kidding that whenever anybody asks that question, that's how she answers. I twitched and turned back around. Allen gave me a questionable look.

"Um. Our local theater put on HMS2 a few years back… And there's this song… And she…. Yeah, just ignore it." I said, trying to explain it. He nodded. "But seriously, how late is it?"

Allen leaned forward to look at the iridescent green glow of the car's electric clock, "Erm… About midnight."

"Oh." I sighed. "Third time."

"Huh?"

"I can never fall asleep in an upright position, ever. Third time I've ever accomplished it." I cricked my neck, sending a spasm of pain to my spine. "Ow." I flinched, rubbing my neck.

"Want a neck massage? I learned how to give really good ones once!" I caught a flash of red from the corner of my eye, Lavi leaning forward, a mischievous grin on his face as his green eye looked into mine. "Wait, of course you want a neck massage! What girl _doesn't _want my hands to touch her body?" My face went red, so did Allen's.

He really just said that. He's a dead man.

"BAKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I smacked his head. "WHAT THE HELL IS-"

"Ssssshhhh!" Allen gestured, putting his finger to his lips, only turning for a brief moment to look at us, his face completely flushed. I dropped my voice.

"_What the hell is your problem dude!"_ I hissed. I glared at him as he shrank back. Allen patted my shoulder, his eyes still never leaving the road.

"It's okay, he's an idiot by nature." He smiled. Oh gosh, what a smile! I hid my face because it started to blast heat that was bound to show on my face.

"Heh-heh…. Yeah…" I mentally facepalmed. '_Smooooooth Tasha. Smoooooooth…. Wait. Why do I even care?' _I shook my head, trying to make my head think a bit clearer. I yawned and smacked my lips trying to wake up, when it felt like something poked the inside of my mouth. I took a short intake of breath. "OW!" I rubbed my cheek where I felt the poke.

"Wha-what's wrong?" Lavi asked, a bit startled. I pulled a sun shield down from the roof of the car, those things you use to block the sun when it's in your eyes.

"Did something happen?" I didn't answer Allen, opening the little mirror on the flap. I opened my mouth.

'_What. The. Hell.' _ I tapped one of my canine teeth. '_When… when did they get so… sharp?' _

"My... teeth... are pointy." I was thoroughly confused. When _did_ that happen? Teeth don't just get all fang-like out of nowhere do they?

"Uh…. 'Kay. Any reason why?" Lavi asked, a sarcastic tone in his voice. I shook my head and stared out at the road. Trees had surrounded our car. Ah, Michigan.

Damn it was good to be home.

I glanced at the GPS; 25 minutes until arrival. "Hey Allen?"

"Hmm?"  
>"Wake me up when we get close. And thanks for driving." I smiled, and drifted back to sleep.<br>-_-_-_-_-_-

"So, what _are_ we going to do once we get to Tasha's house?" I tried to look over my shoulder at Lavi while keeping my eyes on the road.  
>He sighed. "I'm not too sure Allen. We'll have to take Sarah and Tasha with us, now that they have innocence, but we'll discuss what to do with Ellie when we have to cross that bridge."<p>

I nodded. He was right. We needed more exorcists where we were, and finding someone who was compatible was near impossible now. Exorcists were like honey bees, I guess; we were specially built for the job we do, and a dangerous job it was. I turned to Tasha once we reached a red light. Her head was resting against the window, blonde hair curtaining part of her face. Her breathing was even, with a few sharp intakes now and then, clenching and unclenching her fists every once in a while.

I turned back to the road. The GPS now said five minutes until we reached her house. "Hey Lavi, can you wake the others up?"

"Sure!" Almost out of nowhere, he pulled a megaphone from one of the sides of his chair. He turned around and clicked it on as he started to take a deep inhale. "HEY YU-!"

I smacked it away from him before he could say anything and pulled him back while trying to keep a hand on the steering wheel. "_Are you crazy!_" I hissed. "Where'd you even get that thing anyways?"

"It was just lying next to my seat actually!" He grinned as I turned back around to focus on the road as the light turned green. I sighed. What an idiot.

Why there were yaoi doujinshis at the convention, I'll never even know. Fan girls are scary.

I shuddered as I continued to follow the GPS to our destination, its robotic voice droning on in the near silence. I nudged Tasha with my elbow "Tasha," I said quietly, "It's time to wake up." She seemed to glide into an upright position, and turn her head to me, her eyes shut in two closed lines, her mouth slightly open, as if she were dazed.

"Hmmm?" She quirked her head gently to the side, slowly opening her eyes, a sleepy cloudy look in her eyes. "What is it Allen-kun?" Her lips pulled into a quiet smile.

I felt an unexpected small blush rise to my cheeks. "Uh… we're almost there, y'know."

"Huh? Oh… OH. Yay." She was very, very, _very_ tired. She tilted her head even more so, and asked, trying to wake up a bit more. "… Where were we going again?"

I raised an eyebrow, looking at her a bit confused, "Um… Your house?"

She facepalmed and laughed. "Oh yeah! Dang I'm tired if I can't even…." She paused and looked over at me as I pulled into a stop light.

"…. Yes Tasha?" I barely had the words out of my mouth when her hands flew to my cheeks and pinched them. "H-hey! Tasha-san-" She gave them a small pull.

Lavi's expression from the back seat was priceless.

She let my cheeks go and I rubbed the left side of my face. "OMYGOSHBYDARBIE." She cried out. I turned to the seemingly wide awake blonde, eyes wide and bewildered.

"….. What?" She pointed at me, a look of absolute shock written on her face.  
>"YOU'RE ALLEN WALKER!"<br>I blinked. Lavi blinked. Tasha's mouth continued to hang open. A shoe from one of the backseats narrowly missed her face, just barely missing her nose as it hit the windshield.

"Shut. Up. Tasha." The three of us swiveled our heads to face a very peeved Ellie. "It is way too early. And I sure don't want to hear a single _utterance _about anime." She glared at, Tasha giggled.

"It looks like your aim improves when you're half asleep Ellie!"

"Shut. Up. Now."

Ellie, closed her eyes and went back to sleep. "Weird. That's usually how I act in the morning…" Tasha said, an unfamiliar perk in her voice. I stared at her. Was she usually this perky?

"Uuuuunnnnhhhh…. What are you staring at~?" She asked with a silly grin on her face. She shifted her gaze to the clock and time on the GPS, "Neh…. Two minutes…." She turned around, her voice going up a few decimals; "Ooooi! Guys! Wake up!"

There were a multitude of groans from previously sleeping bodies. "Tasha…" An icy voice called from the back.

"Yes Ellie~?" Tasha seemed to perk even more, a smile forcing its way into her tone of voice.  
>"I thought I told you to SHUT UP."<p>

"….. But we're almost home." She pouted, looking forward with her hands on her knees.

"Ah… It's good to see you acting like your usual self," Sarah cut in, almost immediately awake.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tasha pouted.

Sarah laughed, Lenalee shaking herself awake next to her, while Kanda and Ellie looked ready to maim Tasha. I laughed.

This could actually be quite fun.

That night, we all crashed onto some form of a sleeping surface. We all were knocked out and exhausted. I tried to direct each person to kind of room or something to sleep in. Lavi took the couch (typical of him), I pulled out two sleeping bags for Sarah and Ellie so they could sleep in my room, puuled out a makeshift bed for Lenalee, made Kanda sleep on a bed down stairs and Allen took my parents' bed. I fell into my own bed, weary of all of what had happened in the course of a month.

Let's see…..

Mom's dead.

Spectacular.

One of my best friends most likely wants to rip my throat out while my other best friend and I are exorcists.

Fantastic.

Turns out one of my favorite animes actually existed in real life. Leaving me to wonder if that goes for all of them; Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto, Bleach, every name under the planet, were the all real?

I have innocence. And a shitload of wounds to recover from. I tried to stretchout my back and arms, getting groaning joints and aches all over.

Joy.

And finally, the Millennium Earl made it a point to not kill me.

To hell with it all.

These were my thoughts as I drifted to sleep, trying to wonder if everyone else I knew was alright, if they were okay. Was Papa okay? Sarah's family? Her brother? Ellie's family?

…. Jakk?

Tyrone?

Were they even still _alive?_

_Could we ever even find them if they were?_

_What do I do if they aren't?_

_No. No. Don't think like that Tasha. Don't. Think. Like. That._

I tossed and turned, trying to be as quiet as possible, until maybe 1 AM. Ellie sat up, and turned to me, a few tears rejecting my urge to hold it together.

"Tasha, I've noticed a bit of change. You need to tell me what's wrong. Now."

I sighed; she didn't even need to see my face to know I felt so beaten and bruised.

"I… I just can't sleep Ellie. I-"  
>"Everything that's going on?"<br>I sighed again. "Yes. And plenty more." I could just hear the confused look on her face as she looked at me.

"As in?"

"…. Ellie, don't you realize we can't stay here?" I felt her body tense in the darkness. Apparently not. "Ellie, Sarah and I have innocence. We're exorcists. We have to go."

"…. No you don't, you have a choice." She denied what I was saying. She was a fighter that way. If she ever wanted to be a lawyer, she would be standing for hours with an explanation that can be as far-fetched or as logical as the expanses of the universe could contain. I loved her for that.

"Ellie….. They need more exorcists, and they need people to show them what the future is like. They don't know anything that's happened in the last hundred or so years. And Ellie…." She turned and faced me in the darkness, her eyes trained on my form. I fell silent when I felt her gaxze seem to bore into my own eyes, begging me to just be joking.

"…. Go on."

I breathed a sigh of relief before continuing, "Ell, with what Sarah and I have been given…. This innocence… Ellie, not a lot of people know what akuma are, let alone be able to protect themselves from it." Granted, this really wasn't a gift we'd been given. We'd really just been promised to be ripped out of the town we called home, a chance to see death all around us, and never seeing our families again. Never seeing Ellie again, anybody. But there was one thing I still had yet to mention. "You remember what Danni once said?"

Danni was our youth pastor, she had such a strong hold on all of us, we loved her. She was so exuberant and wonderful, and she loved each of us as if we were another one of her kids. Ellie paused before answering. "There have been a lot of things she's said."

I nodded. "I meant about saving a life."

I saw her form slump "Oh."

"I know…. That you're going to protest this. But Ellie, I… _We_ have this… ability, to protect people that don't know what akuma are, let alone escape from them. I want to… I want to protect those people."

"But you could die!" I stared at her, the sudden burst startling me. "I-I don't want… I mean… After….. Tasha you can't!" It took me a moment to understand what she was saying. Oh. That.**{1}**

I slipped the sheets of my messed up bed off and crouched on the floor next to her. "Maybe so, but, I rather it me than some innocent little girl that has dreams of being a princess. She would have things to learn, things to experience, relationships of every shape and size. I may not be able to protect her from a boy breaking her heart, but I'd like to at least save her from death."

"… That's a very non-Tasha thing of you to say." She gave me a quizzical look. I glanced at Sarah, still entirely asleep. Yawning, trying to rub sleep from my eyes.

"Okay look at it this way. Once upon a time there was a beautiful super hero. Let's call her Ceilia. Ceilia had many friends, but she had to leave them behind when she became a hero."  
>"Did you rehearse all of this or something?"<p>

"No, you know I function off the top of my head."

"Ah."

"Aaaaaaaanyways-"

"Wait! You're telling a story?" Sarah bobbed up from her sleeping bag. "I wanna listen!" Ellie and I glanced at each other and we laughed lightly.

"Ceilia one day was walking down the street, and accidently bumped into a young boy named Jakk." Ellie froze, the name of her beloved boyfriend (who just didn't know they were dating yet)'s name. " Jakk fell into the street, as a huge truck stated to come at him. Ceilia knew that is she saved him, and pushed him out of the way, she would never see any of her friends again."

Sarah and Ellie were completely silent.

"Now Ellie, what should she do, sacrifice her life to save a stranger, who is also loved by many, or watch the boy get hit by a truck?"

Ellie was eerily silent before coming back with "Well geez, after he died from not looking both ways to cross the street, how am I not surprised you would make such a terrible story?"

I blinked.

I blinked again.

Sarah bursted into laughter and I pouted. "That's not the point!"

Ellie giggled as quietly as she could. "I know. But still."  
>I sighed, a little brighter than earlier. "Oh Ellie, why oh whyyyyyyyy~ do you this to meeee~ee?" I said it as if it were a song. I stood, about to climb back into bed. "We should talk in the morning. I mean <em>all <em>of us, not just the three of us."

Sarah nodded, Ellie gave an exasperated sigh. "Alright."

I giggled and crawled under the thrown about covers on my bed. "Night girls." I said, a little girly tone finding its way into my voice.

"Good night Tasha~"  
>"Love you both." Ellie leaned back into her bag.<p>

"Love ya!"

"See ya'll in the morning!"

I had gotten up earlier than the others, it was maybe 6 AM. The sun was starting to rise, barely peaking over the elementary school and playground across the street from the house. The window in front of the sink didn't have curtains to block out its blinding light into the kitchen. I shuffled around, gathering supplies for making breakfast, slipping my hair into a messy ponytail. I heard a stifled yawn from behind me as I pulled out a frying pan from one of the cupboards. I turned.

Lavi was standing in the doorway, his hair in a tousled mess. He was wearing pajama pants (heaven knows where he got them) and a baggy log T-shirt.

*fangirl nosebleed and faint*

"Oh my gosh! Tasha! Are you alright?" He rushed forward to my twitching on the floor body, leaning over me.

I held up a hand, pressing my other hand to my forehead. "I-I'm fine," I sat up, readjusting my tank top. "Don't worry about it." I picked the frying pan up of the floor as I stood and looked into his lone green eye. "What are you doing up?"

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I could ask you the same thing, ya know."

I shrugged, walking to where I had set out some eggs on a counter and began to crack their shells. "I asked first, but if you really must know," I turned, sticking my tongue out and closing an eye. "I'm making breakfast." I turned back around.

"I just woke up and thought I'd see what you were doing," he said, leaning against the opposite counter, stifling another yawn. I turned and stared at him as I beat the eggs.

"I'm glad you're up though, there was something we need to talk about." I said turning back around, being as serious as possible.

"Oh? I'm sorry but if this is some sort of confession, I only go for older girls," I could just hear him wink at me. The beater I was holding clattered in the plastic bowl I was using as I turned and stared at him, my eye twitching.

"…."

"….."

"…."

"…. WHAT?"

"…." I grabbed the frying pan lying next to me. Whirling around I jumped, smacking him hard on the head as he fell down.

"OW. OHMYGODWHYYYYYYYYYY?"

"'Cause you're a flirt who asks stupid questions…. Who is undeniably sexy." I muttered under my breath. I heard soft footsteps as Lavi turned me around to face him, my face dangerously close to mine, making me blush.

"Oh~? What does that mean? I'm sorry but as I said befo-!"  
>"I brought the frying pan down on his head again. "SHUT. UP." My face was blasting with red heat, and I felt like I was going to punch the red head, when I noticed <em>Sarah<em> standing _right_ in the doorway.  
>Lovely.<p>

"Tasha, you shouldn't call Lavi sexy. He has a big ego anyway." My eye twitched. Oh Damn. Why now?

"Oh~ I think you have some competition Tasha, but it's okay!" He winked at us both and we froze. "I like girls that are feisty."

I was going to kill that man.

"Hey, I wasn't agreeing with her. Geez…" She averted her gaze.

"But I'm still sexy~!"

"… Yes." She facepalmed. "You are."

"YAY~!"

I slapped my forehead as Kanda came stomping upstairs, yelling about how he was going to slice us all.

Oh dammit all. My question would have to wait until later.

This would be one helluva morning.

* * *

><p><strong>{1} Okay. i keep forgetting to add notes in. I REMEMBERED THIS TIME! Anyways, this is going to be a plot device later, o pay attention everybody c:<strong>

**OMG FINALLY.**

**I'm done!**

**Chapter 10, I feel like I should celebrate…..**

**New Year's…. 030 ….. awesome. ouo**

**And also guys, I'm really sorry. I wanted to do this awesome Christmas idea one of my friends and I came up with earlier, but I didn't have time to do it. Plus, the story hadn't advanced enough to do it. So sorry guys. :C**

**Maybe next year~**

**Anyways, I'm running on a sugar high, on New Year's Eve, and I'm about to crash.**

**Tasha: So from the PABW Cast…**

**Allen: We'd like to wish you…**

**Sarah: A very merry Belated Christmas,**

**Lavi: Happy Hanukah,**

**Ellie: And a wonderful New Year!**

**Lenalee: ... Reviews as a late Christmas present?**

**DY: The more I get the sooner I'll post~**


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